Night Falls
by Vilandra4
Summary: COMPLETE The First evil has begun waging a war against the line of Slayers. With the Watcher's Council destroyed and few allies, Buffy must prepare a ragtag army of potentials to fight the greatest battle of their time. But help and hope can come from
1. Prologue

Night Falls

Disclaimer: Everything in the Buffy universe belongs to Joss Whedon and company. The only things belonging to me are those that I make up.

Notes: This story is set in Season 7. In order to facilitate the story, I'm extending the season – since the show ended they had to cram everything into one season. However, season 7 could have easily spanned over several years. Therefore, I'm changing the order of events to suit my story telling needs. Thus, some things may not add up with the Angel episodes, such as Faith's arrival in Sunnydale. This story primarily focuses on the relationships between Willow and a character of my creation, as well as Buffy and Faith. I hope you like it.

Prologue:

"It's been a long time – too long," Giles said into the telephone. He held the receiver tightly against his ear, straining to hear over the static of cross continental lines. "Unfortunately this isn't a social call. I must ask a favor."

"Anything," the female voice on the other end responded.

"Do you still have access to the Watcher's Council vaults?" Giles asked, waiting with tense anticipation until he heard a positive affirmation. Closing his eyes and breathing out a sigh of relief, he began to spoke slowly and deliberately. "Good. Listen to me very carefully. The First Evil is trying to destroy the Watcher's Council. Its minions have been slaying Watchers and potential Slayers around the world. I'm surprised they haven't come after you yet. I fear that the Council itself will become a target."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go to the vaults and remove as many artifacts as you can. Most importantly, remove all of the Watchers' diaries. They contain important historical records that will need to be maintained should the Council fall. Also, the Coven has asked me to procure any mystical weapons that the Council may have in its vaults. Can you do this?" Giles asked. He knew that he was asking her for more than a simple favor. If the Council found out what she was doing, she would be executed for betraying the establishment of good.

"I'll be on the first plane to London," the woman on the other end of the line replied after a moment's contemplation. "Take care of yourself, Giles," she said before hanging up. The dial tone beeped in Giles's ear and he placed the telephone receiver back in its cradle.

"What have I done?" He asked, rubbing his face with his hands. For years, he had blindly followed the Watcher's Council, doing anything that they required of him. Now, he was actively opposing them. Though he knew that his actions were spawned out of a desire to do good, the Council would see things much differently. Reaching into his shirt pocket, Giles pulled out an embroidered, white handkerchief and slowly wiped away the beads of sweat that had collected on his brow during the phone call. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying desperately to calm his racing heart, but trying in vain.

He had committed the final act of betrayal against the Council. Though they had fired him years ago, he could not simply cut all of his ties with them. The Council would kill her if they discovered what she was doing and they would hunt him down to the very ends of the earth to exact their vengeance. Giles smiled wryly as he thought of her. He had not seen her in many years. When she had answered the phone, he barely recognized her voice. It sounded so different to his ears now; the once high, childish intonation had been replaced by a deeper, huskier tone that spoke of age and sadness.

Giles clearly remembered that last time that he saw her. It had been only a week before the Council began sending him away from London more frequently. His travels had taken him to many parts of the globe, but six years after the last time he saw her, he was standing at the Sunnydale bus depot, hoping to find his Slayer. The day before he was to leave for Portugal, he had been sitting in the Council library. It was a massive building with spacious, cathedral ceilings, and rich, timber beams. He was pouring over some book written in an ancient, dead language. She was sitting on the other end of the large, oak table at which he sat. He remembered that she had been absently kicking her feat, doodling on a piece of paper with some crayons that the librarian had supplied for her. She must have felt his eyes on her because she suddenly looked up at him, her clear, blue eyes sparkling in the light.

"What're you reading, Mr. Giles?" She asked. She was about ten years old and had a levity in her voice that Giles could not help but smile at, despite the seriousness of his present occupation.

"A very old book," Giles replied, shifting his eyes from the worn, yellowed pages, back to her young, lively face. "It's a fairy tale."

"What's it about?" She asked eagerly, dropping her crayon and leaning forward in excitement.

"It's about a girl – a girl very much like you. A very special girl chosen to fight evil," Giles replied, watching as the girl smiled a wide, toothy grin.

"I like those kinds of stories. Tell me more, Mr. Giles," she said eagerly.

"Alright, I will. But on one condition," Giles whispered conspiratorially as he leaned across the table, mimicking her position.

"Okay," the girl replied, her heart thumping with anticipation.

"I'll tell you the rest of the story so long as you promise never to call me Mr. Giles again," Giles whispered. The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

"What should I call you then?" She asked.

"Just call me Giles," he replied. Then shifting his eyes back down to the book in front of him, he said, "Now, about this story…"

Giles sighed as he pulled himself out of his reverie. That had been a long time ago, when the world was a little brighter and everything a little more innocent. He had not seen or spoken to her since. Occasionally, when he would contact that Coven, he would ask about her. But the news he received was never good. She had fallen hard on a long, dark road that led to nothing but tragedy and defeat. Rising to his feet, he grabbed his jacket off of the motel room desk chair and moved to the door. He had to return to Sunnydale as soon as possible. The end of the world was waiting.

……………………

Quentin Travers watched with satisfaction as distinguished Watchers and other Council members began to file into the meeting room. His attendants were scurrying about, making telephone calls and plans. He had called a meeting for any Watcher or Council member that could attend. They desperately needed to formulate a plan to defend themselves against the First Evil. Though they had faced many grave threats throughout the years, none had directly attacked the very source of their power – the Slayers. Quentin scanned the room. Though he saw determination and commitment, he also saw fear and doubt. They were not ready.

His eyes fell on the last face and he felt a pang of disappointment in his heart. He had been certain that she would come. The meeting was about to start, but she had not arrived. It had been a long time since he saw her, but he had hoped that time would have lessened the anger between them and healed some of their wounds. One of his aides apprehensively approached him. Quentin turned his attention to the frightened woman and smiled reassuringly. "Yes?"

"They took our records, wiped out our files. We've lost contact with operations in Munich, Switzerland, and Rome. We've got casualty confirmations coming in as far away as Melbourne," the aide said, her face drawn in an anxious frown. Her voice trembled as she spoke. The end was coming – they could all feel it. "Sir," she said, pausing as if considering the effects that her words would have. "We're crippled."

Quentin knew that his people needed a leader. They needed a champion to rise up out of the death and destruction that surrounded them. They needed someone who could carry them into safety. He had been preparing for this day for as long as he could remember. He had sacrificed many things in his life so that when the moment came, he would be the rock and pillar of the Council in its time of need. Looking over at the woman standing next to him with soft eyes, he spoke. "It's alright, Lydia. We are still masters of our fate, captains of our souls."

"Yes, sir," Lydia replied, walking away from him with a little more confidence than she had previously possessed.

Quentin cleared his throat, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. "I believe that it's time to start the meeting," he said and nodded to two security guards standing by the entrance of the meeting room. They shut the doors and Quentin took his spot and the head of the conference table. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "Our fears have been confirmed. The First Evil has declared an all-out war on this institution. Their first volleys proved most effective. I, for one, think that's it's time we struck back," Quentin said with conviction.

Slowly pacing as he spoke, he felt the hopes of his people rising with his words. The intensity in the air was palpable and Quentin knew that he had finally become the great leader that he was meant to be. "Give me confirmations on all remaining operatives. Begin preparations for mobilization. Once we're accounted for, I want to be ready to move."

"Sir?" One of the Watchers asked, looking at him in surprise.

Quentin smiled smugly, knowing that the First Evil would never anticipate his plan. It would not be long before the First was but a distant memory – another failed demon in a long of failures. "We'll be paying a visit to the Hellmouth. My friends, these are the times that define us. Proverbs 24:6: Oh, by wise counsel, you shall make war," Quentin finished.

…………………………….

Giles stood in the middle of the airport, staring up at one of the many television screens with a look of utter disbelief on his face. All of his hopes had been shattered and crushed beyond recall. Several potentials were gathered around him. "It's gone?" One of them finally asked as the news report finished.

"It's gone," Giles confirmed. The reporter had been standing outside of the smoking remains of the building that had once housed the entire Watcher's Council. Everything was lost.

"What does that mean? What do we do now?" Another potential asked, fear evident in her voice.

"Nothing has changed," Giles finally said. "We're still going to Sunnydale, as planned. The Council may be gone, but we are not."

"The First Evil's winning," the first potential said, dread filling her eyes. "We're going to die just like they did."

"No we won't," another potential said. "They exploded. We're just gonna get gutted by some blind monks," she said sarcastically.

"That's enough," Giles said sharply. "No one is going to die…not today. We have to take each day at a time. Be grateful for every sunrise that you see," he said. A voice crackled over the airport loudspeaker. "That's our flight," Giles said as he listened to the message. "It's time to go."

"Good-bye jolly, old England," one of the girls said, looking sadly around as Giles ushered them towards the terminal. They boarded without incident and as the plane took off, Giles leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. The Council was gone. He could scarcely believe it. It had survived for hundreds of years; never in his wildest imaginings did he believe that it would fall to the hands of evil. He thought of all of the people he knew that were most likely dead now. Each face appeared in front of his closed eyes and then he saw her. With a sickening dread, he realized that she was dead as well – because of him. She never would have been there, if not for him.

Rubbing his face with his hands, he whispered, "God forgive me."

…………………………..

Smoke billowed out of the rubble. Twisted beams and broken glass littered the street in front of the exploded building. Firefighters worked diligently to quench the fires that raged in the wreckage. The sky was as dark as night, the sun blotted out by a thick, greasy, black haze. Rescue workers dashed madly about, trying in vain to find survivors of the explosion. Two rescue workers leading a dog circled the remains. Their ash covered faces bespoke the defeat in their eyes. All they had found was death. Suddenly, the dog began to bark and wildly pulled at its leash. The worker released his hold on the leash and the dog dashed into the wreckage.

"Come on, Charlie," one of the men said. They ran after the dog, hope filling their hearts. They could not imagine that anyone had survived the blast. But they desperately wanted to find someone.

"What's that?" Charlie asked, looking over at Tom, his partner. Tom shook his head.

"What is it, boy?" Tom asked the dog, cautiously moving through the rubble to where the dog was frantically yelping. "Get over here, quick!" Tom cried when he saw an arm sticking out a pile of twisted, smoking metal. Kneeling down, he shifted as much wreckage off the body as he could.

"Is she alive?" Charlie asked, joining his partner and gazing into the bloodied face of the girl lying in front of them. Tom picked up one of her limp hands, searching for a pulse. He eyes lit up and he smiled brightly.

"Go get help," he instructed. "She's alive."


	2. The Desert Sun

Night Falls

Note: This chapter takes place three days before the events of the prologue.

Chapter One:

_Three Days Earlier_

The desert shimmered a blinding white in the afternoon sun. Hailey watched through the windows of the ramshackle police station as the sun traced a path through the blue sky, rising to its full height before it began to descend. Sweat dotted her forehead and she glanced over at the ancient, tottering fan that shuddered in the corner of the room. "We really need to get that bloody air conditioning fixed," she muttered, her native English accent still lingering in her voice.

"What's that, Sheriff?" A young man asked, poking his head in the room.

"Nothing, Jack," Hailey replied, dismissing the deputy. Unscrewing the screw top of the bottle of beer sitting on the desk in front of her, she flicked the bottle top into a nearby trashcan without even looking. Sometimes she wondered why she had agreed to stay in a place that so closely resembled Hell; the shiny Sheriff's badge pinned on her black, leather belt reminded her of the reason. She was needed here. Hailey lifted the bottle to her lips and sighed contently as the cool, amber liquid slid down her throat. Propping her dust covered boots onto her desk, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

"Hailey?" Jack asked, wrapping his knuckles on the doorframe as he walked into her office.

"Can't you see that I'm relaxing?" Hailey asked jokingly. Jack smirked and tossed a manila folder onto her desk.

"Think you might want to look at that," he replied, taking a seat in a chair across from her.

Hailey opened her eyes and picked up the folder. Flipping it open, she scanned the document and photographs contained within for a moment before tossing it back onto the desk. "So you think it's a nest then?" She asked.

"Absolutely. It has all the signs," Jack replied confidently. Rising to her feet, Hailey grabbed a dusty, black cowboy hat from her desk and sat it on her head.

"Let's go kill some vampires," she said, as she picked up her beer and sauntered out of the office. Jack grinned and followed her over to the weapons locker. Sticking a worn key into the padlock, she twisted it and removed the lock. She opened the cabinet doors and grabbed a shining, silver handgun. "How many do you think there are?"

"About fifteen," Jack replied. Hailey nodded and grabbed several ammunition cartridges before moving out of the way so that Jack could grab his own weapon. "In other words," he said, "we should be home before dinner."

Hailey smirked. "I see you're adjusting to the job well," she replied, taking a swig from her beer. Jack had only been working for her for two weeks. Her previous deputy had been killed in a convenience store robbery.

"Killing vampires and occasionally handing out speeding tickets ain't a bad way to spend a day," Jack responded.

"I couldn't agree more," Hailey replied. "Lock up, yeah?" Hailey said as she and Jack walked out of the police station. Hailey continued on to a dilapidated truck a few yards away as Jack locked the front door of the station. Sliding into the driver's seat, she started the engine. Jack slid into the seat next to her and she sped off, kicking up a cloud of dust in the wake of the truck. Lifting the beer bottle to her lips, she tipped it back, letting the amber liquid infuse her senses.

"Hailey?" Jack asked, glancing over at her.

"Yeah?" She asked, placing the bottle in the cup holder.

"You do realize that it's against the law to drink and drive, right?" He asked.

"Arrest me," Hailey replied, smiling over at him.

"You know, when they told me that our town sheriff was a functioning alcoholic, I didn't really believe them," Jack said, in reference to the many rumors the people of Coyote Creek liked to spread about their mysterious and dangerous sheriff.

"Everybody's got something," Hailey replied, making a sharp left turn off the road and out into the desert. The truck rumbled over the uneven ground, bouncing its occupants with a powerful force.

"We'll be lucky if we make it there in one piece," Jack said, gritting his teeth to keep from biting his tongue as his head slammed into the top of the truck.

"Vampires really don't care about convenience," Hailey replied. According to Jack's source, the vampires they were hunting had been living in an abandoned mining building about ten miles outside of town. Coyote Creek, Arizona was a small town located in the middle of the desert, but surrounded by mountains rich with minerals. Thus, mining companies had always been the primary employer of the locals. However, Coyote Creek was also infamous for its vampire population. Until Hailey arrived, the townspeople ritually disappeared at dusk, barring themselves in their homes until the sun rose the next day.

Hailey had intended to pass through the town on her way to Phoenix. However, just before she reached the end of the city limits, her truck ran out of gas. Forced to walk back to the town's gas station, she found herself surrounded by vampires on Main Street. Several people witnessed her dust the band of vampires with relative ease and persuaded her to stay by offering her a job as the town sheriff. The salary was not much to brag about, but Hailey liked the isolation that the desert provided. Killing vampires on a daily basis was simply an added bonus.

"This is it," Jack said, pulling Hailey out of her thoughts. Hailey slowed the truck to a stop and killed the engine. The building looming in front of them had been constructed in the 1950s, but had been abandoned shortly after several night workers were brutally murdered. The windows had been painted black and though the building had not been regularly maintained since it was abandoned, Hailey saw that someone – or something – had been working to keep it from collapsing upon itself.

"Let's get this over with," Hailey said, opening the driver's side door and stepping out onto the compacted sand of the desert. Tingles ran up and down her spine as she loaded her gun. Though she knew exactly what she was doing, she always felt an uneasiness creep through her stomach the moment before the fight began. Reaching through the opened window of the truck, she grabbed her beer. "Come on," she said, walking over to the building. Jack followed her, his face set with grim determination. She knew that he was afraid. Jack had killed many vampires since she employed him, but the fear would always be with him, just as it was always with her. Taking a swig from her drink, she glanced down at the bottle before throwing it with all of her strength at one of the windows. The bottle crashed through, breaking a hole in the window. Sunlight streamed into the building and they could hear screams of pain as vampires scrambled to escape the light.

Hailey stepped forward and kicked in the building's rotten, wooden door. Pieces splintered, sailing through the air as she and Jack stepped inside, holding their guns out in front of them. The nearest vampire laughed, his face morphing into its demon form. His fangs glittered white and his yellow eyes fell on Hailey. "Don't you know those don't work on us, little girl?" He asked condescendingly.

Hailey smiled devilishly. "You're assuming that these guns are loaded with lead based bullets," Hailey explained mockingly. "They're actually loaded with UV bullets."

"What?" The vampire asked in surprise.

"Flying sunlight, mother fucker," Hailey replied. "See you in Hell." Squeezing the trigger, Hailey sent a bullet flying straight at the vampire's heart. It slammed into his chest and he staggered back several feet, looking down in shock at the gaping hole in the front of shirt. Bursting into flames, the vampire crumpled into a pile of smoking dust. Hailey smiled victoriously as the others backed away in fear. The room filled with smoke as she and Jack emptied their guns into the vampires. When the smoke cleared, they were the only ones left.

"That went well," Jack said easily.

"I'd say," Hailey agreed. "Almost sunset," she said, looking through the broken window at the sinking sun. "I'm on patrol tonight."

"Drive me back to the station, will ya?" Jack asked. "I've gotta take off early tonight."

"Sure," Hailey replied conversationally as they walked back to the truck. The first day Jack was on the job, Hailey left him in the middle of the desert after they disbanded a nest as an initiatory joke. Ever since, he made sure to confirm that she was planning to drive him back. They both climbed into the truck. Throwing it into gear, Hailey sped off into the desert. They arrived at the police station just as the sun sank below the horizon. Jack climbed out of the truck and turned, resting his arms on the partially opened window.

"Be careful tonight, huh?" He said. "I don't want your job."

"But it's got so many fringe benefits," Hailey joked back. "Say hi to Jenny for me," she said as Jack nodded and walked to his car. Hailey waited until he had left before pulling back out onto the road. Patrolling meant driving back and forth through town until the sun rose, ensuring that the people of Coyote Creek remained safe, now that they were venturing out of doors at night. Clicking on the radio, Hailey settled into her seat, preparing for the long night. Sighing to herself, she muttered, "Wish I hadn't thrown that beer through the window."

……………………..

Hailey tossed her keys and cowboy hat onto the table in the foyer of her small, Spartanly decorated house. It was constructed in a pueblo style with a red tile roof and a walled, dirt backyard, where a couple of hearty cacti grew. The morning sun was just peaking over the mountains, which surrounded the town. The night had been fairly uneventful, with only one vampire complaint. Hailey had been the sheriff of Coyote Creek for nearly a year and had noticed a considerable decline in vampire activity during that time. She dreaded the day that vampires decided to cross Coyote Creek off of their must see lists.

Walking over to her answering machine, she pressed a button and the house filled with a mechanical voice. "You have two new messages," it said. There was a slight, static filled pause, and then a woman's voice spoke.

"Hailey – it's Marissa. My husband's going to be out of town this week. I don't know what you're doing, but it could be me. Give me a call, baby," the woman said, her sultry voice filling the empty rooms of the house. Hailey smiled and shook her head.

"Be still my heart," she muttered to herself. Marissa was just another girl in a long line of girls, but Hailey did not mind wasting an evening with her. Silence filled the house again before another voice filled the void. It was an old man's voice. Hailey stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the man speak.

"Hailey, it's your father. I know it's been a while. I got your number from the Coven. Listen, something big is happening and you need to be involved. I've called a meeting for all Council members in London for three days from now at five o'clock in the evening. I know we haven't always agreed, but a faction of the Council strongly believes in your methodology. I hope you'll come. I'll be looking for you," the voice said hesitantly. Hailey could hear emotion in her father's voice, but could not tell if it was sadness, anger, or frustration.

She moved over to the couch and sat, running a weary hand over her face. She had not spoken to her father in five years – after she entered a substance abuse rehabilitation center and left London. Her father was a staunch traditionalist. He firmly believed that a Slayer should be armed with nothing more than a wooden stick when facing every sort of evil in the world and that she should be a lone warrior with no ties to anyone but her Watcher. Hailey found the entire proposition to be absurd. While attending university, she met a physics student who was particularly adept at making weapons. Within a year, he had been able to create a UV bullet that killed vampires in the same way as sunlight. When she had introduced the idea to the Council, the modernist faction had eagerly embraced the idea, only to be silenced by her father and the tradionalist faction.

Their difference in ideas was the final blow to an already tattered relationship. Her father had never approved of her inclination towards the fairer sex, or her extracurricular activities. He had been so excited when he found out that she was a potential Slayer. However, his excitement soon turned to disappointment as time wore on and it became abundantly clear that his daughter would not be a Chosen One. Hailey had only been trained to do one thing – hunt vampires – and after flunking out of university, she decided to put her skills to use. She left London and traveled the world, killing as many vampires and demons as she could. Eventually she made her way to the United States and Coyote Creek.

Hailey was ripped from her thoughts by the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. Moving over to the phone, she picked up the receiver and placed it against her ear. "Hello?" She asked. Silence greeted for a second before a voice spoke on the other end. Hailey recognized it at once, though she not had heard it for many years. "Giles," she declared, her face brightening immensely.

"Hailey, I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice," Giles said sincerely. "It's been a long time – too long. Unfortunately, this isn't a social call. I must ask a favor."

"Anything," Hailey replied instantly, eager to help her former childhood friend.

"Do you still have access to the Watcher's Council vaults?" Giles asked with baited breath. Hailey could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Yes," she replied. Giles breathed a soft sigh of relief.

"Good. Listen to me very carefully. The First Evil is trying to destroy the Watcher's Council. Its minions have been slaying Watchers and potential Slayers around the world. I'm surprised they haven't come after you yet. I fear the Council itself will become a target," Giles explained.

Hailey felt her breath catch in her throat. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as fear flashed through her. She too was surprised that the First Evil had not found her, though she knew that her movements were not easy to track. The only people who knew her exact location were the elders of the Coven. "What do you want me to do?" Hailey asked, her curiosity defeating her fear. Hailey listened carefully as Giles explained his proposition. It was a dangerous idea. If the Council found out what she was doing, daughter of Quentin Travers or no, she would be executed.

"Can you do this?" Giles asked desperately. Hailey knew that she did not have any choice but to agree. If the Council were destroyed, with the items in the vault along with it, than the world would have lost a great deal of historical documents, as well as mythically powerful artifacts.

"I'll be on the first plane to London," Hailey replied before hanging up the telephone. Moving over to her laptop, she booked the earliest flight to London as was possible. Her plane would depart later that morning. She would arrive in London a day before the meeting that her father had called. It was perfect timing. While her father and the rest of the Council were locked away in some conference room, Hailey could access the vaults without anyone knowing.

Moving over to the telephone, she knew that she had a final call to make before she started packing. Hitting the first speed dial button, she waited as the phone rang. Finally, a groggy voice answered. "Jack, sorry to call so early," she said. "But something's come up."

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, immediately alert.

"I have to leave town for while. You'll have to take over for me. And Jack," she added, after a slight pause, "I may not be coming back."


	3. The Vault

Night Falls

Previously:

"I have to leave town for while. You'll have to take over for me. And Jack," she added, after a slight pause, "I may not be coming back."

Chapter Two:

Hailey sat on a bench across the street from the Watcher's Council headquarters in London. An empty duffel bag sat by her feet and a crowd of pigeons had gathered before her, hoping for some morsels of food. Hailey glanced down at them apologetically. It was a typical day in London. The sun was obscured by gray, puffy clouds, which had just finished spilling a torrent of rain down on the streets. A light breeze blew between the buildings, whipping Hailey's dark hair around her face. She did not notice, however. She sat with her hands in her pockets, warding off the chill of autumn in Britain. She had nearly forgotten the feel of the bone chilling cold that the weather in England provided. Shivering, she shifted her gaze from the birds hopping around in front of her to the massive, stark building across the street.

It had been many years since she last stood before it. In many ways, the building represented the Council. The Council was a monolith that had stood for hundreds of years for a single, unified purpose. It never faltered, it never weakened, and it never changed. Hailey felt a familiar, bitter resentment pulling at her heart as she stared at the building. The Council had been an influential part of her life since birth. Though she had struggled with her identity as a potential Slayer, she had gradually come to appreciate her proposed destiny. But after years of Slayers dying and other girls being called, Hailey had come to realize that her destiny was quite different from what she had previously thought. She focused her energies on the Council instead of training, trying to influence the Council to modernize its methods in order to assimilate into the world. The Council, for the most part, had resisted and her efforts went to waste.

Sick of the disappointment she felt with the Council, she left England, never intending to return. She clearly remembered her last day in London, looking up at the depressing building and wondering if she would ever make up for the time she had wasted hoping to change the world. Sighing, Hailey picked up her empty duffel bag, slung it on her shoulder, and crossed the street. She hesitated at the front door, her hand unwilling to reach out and grab the doorknob. Finally, it stretched out in front of her, gripped the metal knob, and pulled the door open with a swift, fluid motion. Stepping forward into the building, she smiled at the musty scent that invaded her nostrils; the place had always smelled of old books.

"Can I help you?" A man asked from the front desk.

"Yes, I believe you can," Hailey responded. "I'm here for the meeting, could you be so kind as to tell me which conference room they're using this time? It's been a while," she said, smiling sweetly and falsely.

"Of course, top floor, conference room A," he said. "Shall I buzz them to tell them you've arrived, Ms…?"

"No, thank you," Hailey replied, moving over to the stairs. "I prefer to be unannounced." Pushing open the stairwell door, Hailey paused on the landing. Two sets of stairs lay before her: one going up and one going down. For a brief moment, she considered the meeting to which she had been called. She knew that her father was in that room, waiting for her. However, whether he waited with hope that she could come or regret at having notified her, she did not know. "And I don't care to find out," she muttered to herself, choosing the staircase that led to the vault instead.

The vault was housed underground in a massive steel and concrete bunker that was virtually impenetrable to attack. It contained some of the most precious books and documents known to man, ancient texts of prophecies and spells. Hailey, though interested in the information contained within those volumes, had always been more fascinated by the store of weapons and mystical artifacts that lay hidden in the vault. She had not been to every room within the massive bunker, but it was rumored that somewhere within, the Council possessed the very sword with which the archangel Michael had thrown Lucifer from Heaven. Hailey did not believe the rumors, but she remembered many of her classmates conjecturing about the sword's location.

Hailey smiled at the memory. She descended two flights of stairs and came to a stop outside of a massive steel door. A keypad rested to her right, sunk into the wall. Hailey breathed deeply, briefly wondering if her key code would still activate the door. Stepping forward, she punched her seven-digit number into the pad and waited. A green light illuminated above the door and it slid open, the steel slab disappearing into the top of the doorframe. Hailey walked into the vault, her breath catching in her throat. The display never ceased to amaze her. Rows of books, papers, artifacts, and weapons spread before her in glass cases that reminded her of a museum. Every epoch of history could be found in the vault. Ancient Roman weapons mingled with stakes from the first Slayer and an ax from the most recent Slayer to have perished in the fight against evil.

Hailey took a moment to appreciate the immensity of the vault before moving into the first room. Giles had specifically requested the diaries of past Watchers. She quickly surveyed the room, her eyes resting on the wall opposite the vault entrance. Hailey walked forward, pausing in front of a glass case holding several rows of worn, yellowed books. She entered her access code again into a smaller keypad and the case slid open. She pulled the books out, carefully slipping them into her bag. After she had taken as many diaries as she could find, she moved over to a case of amulets and began removing them from their protective case. As she was reaching for a mystical healing amulet, a strange feeling passed through her.

"What the hell," Hailey muttered to herself as a wave of dizziness assaulted her. She felt as though something terrible was about to happen, but she did not know what. Shrugging the feeling away, she moved over to a case of knives and filled her duffel bag with all that she could carry. Finally, the bag could hold no more. Zipping it, she walked back to the main entrance. Just as she had passed under the doorframe, the ground began to shake. Grabbing the doorframe for support, she desperately tried to remain standing despite the force of the trembling. A loud rushing sound greeted her ears. It sound like a freight train was barreling down the stairs. Hailey's eyes went wide when she saw the train crash around the corner in the form of a massive wall of fire. Turning her back to the blaze, she stepped back into the vault and quickly punched the first four digits of her code into the inside wall panel. However, before she could finish, the floor rose, the concrete breaking and smashing as it lifted the entire room into the air.

Hailey felt as thought she was surfing on a concrete wave as it lifted her and then cruelly dropped her, sending her spiraling towards the ground. The fire burst into the room and chunks of the ceiling tiles began to fall. The vault was shaking with such a force that Hailey feared it would collapse on top of her. The fire licked at her skin and she screamed in pain. Dust and smoke filled the room. She could not see the stair well anymore, though she knew that she was lying just to the right of the doorway. Struggling to her feet, coughs wracked her body as she tried to crawl out of the room. A chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling, landing on her, and the world went black.

…………………………

Smoke billowed out of the rubble. Twisted beams and broken glass littered the street in front of the exploded building. Firefighters worked diligently to quench the fires that raged in the wreckage. The sky was as dark as night, the sun blotted out by a thick, greasy, black haze. Rescue workers dashed madly about, trying in vain to find survivors of the explosion. Two rescue workers leading a dog circled the remains. Their ash covered faces bespoke the defeat in their eyes. All they had found was death. Suddenly, the dog began to bark and wildly pulled at its leash. The worker released his hold on the leash and the dog dashed into the wreckage.

"Come on, Charlie," one of the men said. They ran after the dog, hope filling their hearts. They could not imagine that anyone had survived the blast. But they desperately wanted to find someone.

"What's that?" Charlie asked, looking over at Tom, his partner. Tom shook his head.

"What is it, boy?" Tom asked the dog, cautiously moving through the rubble to where the dog was frantically yelping. "Get over here, quick!" Tom cried when he saw an arm sticking out a pile of twisted, smoking metal. Kneeling down, he shifted as much wreckage off the body as he could.

"Is she alive?" Charlie asked, joining his partner and gazing into the bloodied face of the girl lying in front of them. Tom picked up one of her limp hands, searching for a pulse. He eyes lit up and he smiled brightly.

"Go get help," he instructed. "She's alive." Tom turned back to the girl as Charlie ran through the wreckage, waving his hands to signal an ambulance. "Hang on," Tom whispered, gently stroking her face.

"We gotta move some of this rubble," Charlie said, rejoining his partner. Together, they heaved away the concrete blocks that had been lying on top of the girl. Tom could not believe that she was still alive. Her body was battered and bruised, blood spattering the wreckage around her. Two EMS workers ran up to them carrying a stretcher.

"Pick her up slowly," one of them said, laying the stretcher next to the girl's body. The four men moved around her, carefully lifting her. Tom cradled her head in his hands.

"What's that?" One of the other men asked, pointing to a black bag still clutched in the girl's grip.

"I don't know," Tom said. "It must belong to her. Take it with you." One of the EMS workers grabbed the bag while the other carried the stretcher over to the ambulance with Tom.

"Good luck!" Tom shouted after the ambulance as it sped away towards the hospital.

"Think she'll make it?" Charlie asked.

Tom shook his head sadly and grabbed the dog's leash again. "They never do."

…………………………..

Amelia Dubois stepped into the emergency room of St. Thomas' Hospital in London. Several nurses rushed past her, entering a room to her left where a man had just flat lined. Injured people littered the waiting room in front of her. Pushing aside her uneasiness, Amelia walked forward, pausing at the reception desk. "Can I help you?" A frazzled looking nurse asked, clutching her clipboard as if it were a life raft.

"I'm looking for a woman who was admitted today. She was in the explosion on Fifth Avenue," Amelia replied.

"Jane Doe," the nurse said, looking down at her clipboard. "Do you know her?"

"Yes," Amelia answered. "Her name is Hailey Travers. I'm an old friend of hers. How is she?"

"I can't answer that," the nurse replied apologetically. "Let me find her doctor. Please," the woman said, pointing to an empty plastic chair, "take a seat."

Amelia nodded, moving over to the chair as the woman hurried away. Folding her hands in her lap, she closed her eyes and opened her mind. She could feel Hailey's life force. It was weak, but the older woman knew that the potential was a survivor. When the Watcher's Council headquarters had been destroyed, most of the Coven had abandoned London for a small town in Spain, where it had owned property for hundreds of years. Amelia, however, had been sent to the hospital to retrieve Hailey. The First Evil was trying to destroy the Slayer line and had been devastatingly successful. The Coven did not know how many potential Slayers still lived, but it was not going to abandon one of the Council's warriors to certain death. Though the elders had not confirmed Amelia's suspicions in so many words, the woman felt that Hailey would be a person of great significance to the world before the end came.

"Excuse me," a man in a white doctor's coat said, stopping in front of Amelia. His shadow fell across her face and she opened her eyes. "One of my nurses told me that you're acquainted with the girl rescued from the explosion earlier today?"

"That's correct," Amelia replied, rising to her feet. "Is she alright?"

"She's in critical condition at the moment. We've managed to stop her internal bleeding, but she's in a coma. She sustained third degree burns on her arms and back, in addition to several broken ribs and a fractured skull. She's lucky to be alive," the doctor commented.

"I was hoping to be able to move her to a private facility, one where perhaps she could receive more personal care," Amelia stated. "When would that be possible?"

"Not at the moment," the doctor replied. "I would like to see some more improvement before taking a transfer into consideration."

"Of course," Amelia acquiesced. "May I see her?"

"Yes," the doctor answered. "She's in intensive care, room fifteen A. Second floor."

"Thank you," Amelia replied, moving over to the elevators. The doctor disappeared amidst the group of people littering the ER. The elevator doors slid open and Amelia stepped inside, pushing the button for the second floor as the doors slid closed again. The elevator rose sharply and then stopped. The doors opened and Amelia stepped out into a much calmer hallway. She quickly located the room where Hailey rested and opened the door. "I would not advise doing that if I were you," Amelia said as soon as she stepped into the room.

Two men turned to face her, their eyes scarred and blinded. They wore brown robes and held long, ornately designed knives in their hands. "You are Bringers, yes? Of the First Evil, who I'm sure is responsible for the explosion. You may have killed many potentials, that I cannot change, but you will not harm this one any further," Amelia said, her voice strong and clear. The Brings licked their lips and moved forward. "You leave me no choice then," Amelia said sadly as she raised her hand, her palm facing the men. "Ignite," she whispered. Flames suddenly shot through the bodies of the Bringers. They opened their mouths to scream in pain, but no sound emerged. The knives dropped to the floor and the Bringers disappeared in a pile of ashes.

"You are a very popular woman today," Amelia said, stepping over the dusty remains of Hailey's attackers and sitting by her bedside. Hesitantly, Amelia reached out and took Hailey's hand. It felt cold. Amelia felt a pang of sadness strike her heart when she looked down into the young woman's face. She always felt as though she had failed Hailey in some way. The girl had possessed such potential, such promise, when she was growing up. Yet, she had fallen into darkness, losing her way amid the temptations of the world. Amelia brushed a strand of Hailey's dark hair away from her face.

"You're very lucky to be alive. The Council was destroyed today. The headquarters blew up, which you are very much aware of, I'm sure. I don't know why you're alive. The building fell across Fifth Avenue during the explosion. Destroyed several other buildings in the process. You were found under layers of concrete, which leads me to believe that you were in the vault during the explosion. If that is the case, it would explain why you're still alive. Had the building fallen in on itself, you would have been crushed; had you been in any other part of the building, the explosion would have decimated you. The vault was the strongest place," Amelia explained. Leaning back in her chair, Amelia rested her eyes on a black duffel bag sitting on the chair on the opposite side of the bed. "What were you doing there, Hailey?" Amelia wondered aloud, leaning forward and taking her hand again.

"You're not safe here, at any rate. The First may not have succeeded in killing you this time, but that does not mean it will cease trying. As soon as possible, I will move you to the Coven's new location. We can care for you there. With the aid of our healers, you should be in tip top shape in no time," Amelia said. "Until then, let your body do its job. It knows what's right." Pausing, Amelia sighed. "You've grown up into a beautiful, young woman, Hailey. I know that things have not always been easy for you, but this is your chance to make everything right. The world needs you now. It's time to wake up."

…………………………..

Hailey could her a voice whispering in her ear as she slept. It sounded familiar and, for a fleeting moment, a face passed before her eyes only to retreat into darkness. She felt as though she were floating in a sea with black waves. Above her, the stars peeked out of the sky and the moon lingered, bloated and yellow. Strange images ripped through her consciousness. She saw flames inching forward, their heat licking at her skin, making it blister and burn. She felt as though she was melting. A scream of pain died in her throat as the fire vanished. A loud, humming sound exploded out of nothingness and filled her ears. It reminded her of the sound of the trains pulling into the train station, where she would wait with her nanny for her father to come home from his business trips.

The sound grew and grew until everything crashed together and there was silence. The sea rose and swelled. Hailey could feel a fine mist on her face. Then, she found herself lying in the desert. The sea had disappeared. The afternoon sun loomed above her, warming her skin. She blinked, momentarily blinded by the sun. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a woman walking towards her with flowing red hair.

The haze of the desert obscured her face, but Hailey thought she saw glowing, emerald eyes gazing back at her. Another voice ripped into her consciousness. She felt fear behind it, its undertones laced with concerns. She could feel danger drawing nearer and nearer. Vaguely, she thought that she should wake up. But when she tried, only the harsh desert sun greeted her. Closing her eyes, she struggled to find her way back to the world she had known. When she opened them again, the woman with the red hair was gone and the world was dark and cold.


	4. The First Potential

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the review. Keep them coming. I want to know what you guys think about where I'm going with this. Ganglion – thanks for pointing out my time discrepancy. I fixed it in the prologue. Hailey is supposed to be twenty-three. It's those little mathematical details that tend to trip me up.

Previously:

"You're not safe here, at any rate. The First may not have succeeded in killing you this time, but that does not mean it will cease trying. As soon as possible, I will move you to the Coven's new location. We can care for you there. With the aid of our healers, you should be in tip top shape in no time," Amelia said. "The world needs you now. It's time to wake up."

Chapter Three:

Hailey dreamt about the sea. She could feel the weightlessness of the water as she slept. It buoyed her in its gentle caress, splashing her face with a fine mist of salt water that coated her lips. She was five years old again and bathing in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. She could hear her father's laughter as he picked her up and spun her around, the sun blinding her eyes for a moment until it passed through her vision and she saw her father's face, bright and happy. His eyes were sparkling. Looking over his shoulder, she saw her mother sitting on the beach, a book propped up on her knees as she watched her husband and daughter playing in the sea. A lighthearted smile danced on her lips.

Hailey spread her arms out like wings, reveling in the feel of the air parting before her as her father spun her around and around. Then she was falling. The warm water splashed around her as her father dipped her into the sea. "I think she likes it," he said, smiling over at his wife.

"Do it again!" Hailey cried, giggling. A splash of water hit her face and her eyes stung. Instinctively, she closed them, but when she opened them again the beach was deserted. Her father and mother were gone. She was standing in the water, no longer a little girl, but the woman she had become. The sun was slowly descending over the sea and the waves glowed orange and red, almost the color of blood, as the tides changed.

"Where am I?" Hailey muttered to herself. She knew that she was in a different time – a different world. She remembered going down to the vault to retrieve the artifacts Giles had requested. Then something happened. The earth shook and there was a wall of fire. Hailey moved through the water, walking onto the beach. She sat down in the sun warmed sand and held her head in her hands. A sharp pain rang through her mind and tears stung her eyes.

"I don't understand!" Hailey yelled angrily, her eyes resting on the sky above her. The sun disappeared as the moon rose behind her. Its light cast shadows on the beach. A light breeze kicked up, blowing her hair in front of her face. The water on her skin dried and she was left with a cold feeling that haunted her bones. "I need to wake up," Hailey muttered to herself. The world seemed to fade for a moment and Hailey spoke again, her voice stronger, "I need to wake up!"

Hailey opened her eyes suddenly and jolted up in her bed, only to cry out in pain. "Shit," she said, raising her arm and grabbing her head. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the headboard of the bed and waited for the pain to pass; it did not. She opened her eyes again and gritted her teeth. She tried to focus on anything but the blistering pain in her mind as her brain adjusted to consciousness. She did not recognize the room in which she lay. Vaguely, she could hear waves crashing through an opened window to her right. A warm breeze blew in through the soft, yellow curtains. The sun played shadows on the rose colored blankets covering her bed. The room was sparsely decorated, but a large, ornamental cross hung on the wall opposite of her.

Two chairs were set beside her bed. The one nearest to her was empty, but a black duffel bag rested on the other. A wave of relief passed through her mind when she saw the bag. At least the artifacts were safe. The sound of feet scuffling over carpet greeted her ears and, moments later, the door to her room opened. "Amelia," Hailey declared, her eyes widened in shock. "What're you doing here?"

"I brought you here," Amelia replied, moving over to the bed. She sat down on the empty chair and smiled warmly. "How're you feeling? I must say, I'm quite relieved to see that you're awake."

"I feel like someone took a sledgehammer to my head," Hailey replied dryly. "What happened?"

"You were in an explosion," Amelia explained.

"What?" Hailey asked, not believing her ears.

"The Watcher's Council headquarters exploded. You were in St. Thomas's Hospital in London for a week and a half. We moved you here five days ago. You've been in a coma," Amelia answered patiently.

"Where is here?" Hailey asked. The pain in her head was growing. The Watcher's Council had been destroyed. The thought suddenly struck her that her father was dead. She wondered at the dull ache that formed in her chest. Even though she had grown to hate Quentin Travers, she felt an intense need to grieve for him. She supposed a small part of the little girl who had loved her father like he was God still lingered somewhere in the dusty corners of her heart.

"Spain," Amelia said, watching Hailey intently. She saw a storm of emotions pass over the girl's face. Anticipating her thoughts, she elaborated, "You are the only survivor. I'm sorry."

"It's what he would have wanted," Hailey said after a long stretch of silence, "to have died for the cause."

Amelia smiled reassuringly. "The Coven has been watching over you since your arrival. The First sent some of its minions after you, but I took care of them. It tried again just before we moved you, but was unsuccessful. No one knows that you're here. You should be safe," she said.

"But for how long?" Hailey countered. "The First is trying to destroy the line of Slayers. It's only a matter of time before I'm next. I have to do something."

"Yes, you do," Amelia replied seriously. "We've located three potential Slayers living in Spain. Once you've recovered, the Coven wants you to locate these girls and transport them to Sunnydale, California, where you will join the Slayer in the battle against the First. It will be a dangerous journey – not all of you will make it there," Amelia said, sighing sadly. "I fear that you will see the face of death many times before the end. Already, you've seen it once."

"I don't really remember that much about the explosion," Hailey admitted softly. "Just some images that keep coming to me. Fire and smoke."

"What were you doing there? You were not at the meeting, otherwise you would be dead right now," Amelia asked curiously.

"I was in the vault," Hailey replied. "They always said it could withstand any attack," she said sardonically. "Do you know if any of the artifacts survived?"

"You tell me," Amelia said pointedly. Hailey blushed and looked down at the blanket covering her bed, picking at it with her fingers. "It's not like the Council can punish you now, Hailey."

"Giles called me a few days ago," Hailey began. "He asked me to retrieve the Watcher's diaries from the vault and anything else that I could smuggle out. He suspected that the First would try to attack the Council directly."

"Apparently he was right," Amelia replied bitterly.

"Yeah," Hailey agreed. "Whatever is in that bag is all that's left," she said, motioning to the bag sitting on the chair beside Amelia. "Perhaps you should contact him."

"No," Amelia said quickly, shaking her head. "I don't believe it would be wise to inform anyone of your whereabouts. It's better for now if everyone thinks that you're dead. It will allow you greater freedom once you leave here."

"These potentials you want me to find…are their Watchers dead?" Hailey asked slowly. Amelia nodded.

"Most of the Watchers are, to the best of my knowledge. Not much remains of the Council. Such a mighty institution," Amelia whispered to herself. "Shall nothing stand the test of time?"

"Are they safe, for now?" Hailey asked, ignoring Amelia's reflections.

"Two are in hiding. The third is unaware of her calling," Amelia explained.

"One doesn't know that she's a potential Slayer?" Hailey asked, surprised.

"No," Amelia replied. "We only just found out ourselves. The Council did not have time to send anyone after her."

"She'll be in the greatest danger then," Hailey said, mostly to herself. "I'll have to find her first. The others know to be careful. I'll need a car and some supplies," Hailey said, moving into a sitting position.

"Hailey, you need to stay here and rest. You're not well yet," Amelia said, watching as a shadow of pain passed over the girl's face.

"I don't have that luxury. The longer those girls are out there on their own, the greater the chance I'll get to them too late. I need to leave right away," Hailey responded. Sliding over to the side of the bed, she dropped her feet on the ground and shakily stood. The room spun around her and she braced herself on the night table next to her.

"I must insist" – Amelia started.

"I know you're concerned," Hailey cut her off. "But the First isn't going to wait around for me to heal. I have to go." Amelia nodded after several long moments.

"I took your things from the hotel you were staying at in London. I'll get them for you. You said you needed a car?" Amelia asked.

Hailey smiled. "And a lot of weapons."

…………………………

Though Hailey had envisioned herself driving across the coast of Spain in flashy sports car; the reality of the situation was much different. With such short notice, Amelia had done the best that she could, but Hailey found herself growing more and more antagonistic towards the metal deathtrap in which she was caged. When something banged out of synch with the rest of the car's generally chaotic inner workings, she found herself holding her breath, waiting for a tire to pop off or the engine to fall out of the bottom. She rolled down the driver's window, immensely relieved by the feel of the wind caressing her cheek. The warmth of summer had yet to fade and the dismal, stale air pumping through the car's air conditioning system did little to provide Hailey any comfort.

She was an hour into her trip with two remaining until she would arrive at the town where the first potential lived. Her name was Maria, she was sixteen years old, and she had no idea that the fate of the world might rest in her hands one day. Hailey was not looking forward to breaking the news. Lighting up a cigarette, she glanced down at the bottle of prescription painkillers rattling around on the passenger's seat. The doctor who prescribed them had meant well; he was unaware of her previous troubles with narcotics. Though she could barely breathe from the pain in her head and ribs, Hailey was determined to stay clean. She knew that if she took just one pill, all of her work would be for nothing.

She took a long drag off her cigarette, breathing the smoke down into her lungs. The bitter taste filled her mouth and she grinned. She had been at the university for nearly a month when she first met Tanya at a club in London. She had been dancing when she felt someone glide up behind her. Turning, she saw a woman with golden blonde hair dancing so close to her that their lips were only inches apart. There was a fire in the stranger's eyes that took Hailey's breath away. Tanya seemed to be more alive than anyone she knew and Hailey was desperate the same.

Tanya had been into coke, but Hailey loved heroin. It made all of her nerve endings tingle with a barely suppressed excitement while lulling her into a peaceful state of calm and security. Six months later, she had flunked out of the university, Tanya had died from an overdose, and she could not survive a day without a fix. She knew that she was spiraling out of control. She was eighteen years old and the world had closed itself to her. London reminded her of too many things that she wanted to forget. She tried to immerse herself in the Council, but her father blocked all of her efforts for reform. Finally, she gave up. She checked herself into a rehabilitation clinic for three months and disappeared from London without a word.

Hailey flicked the cigarette out of the window and sighed. She could still taste Tanya's cherry lip-gloss and smell the lingering scent of cinnamon from the perfume she wore. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she stood in the middle of that club and watched Tanya seduce her with a simple glance, a flick of her tongue over her lips. She had fallen hard that day and had been struggling to stand ever since. Her eyes shifted to the bottom of the windshield, where she could see the reflection of her badge lying on the dashboard. Five years ago, she never would have believed that she would be working on the right side of the law instead of the wrong. Things had changed.

The miles rolled by. Hailey saw the white washed walls of Seville glowing in the afternoon sun from a distance. The road curved, hugging the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea. In a moment of morbid contemplation, Hailey wondered what it would feel like to plunge off the cliff and bash into the rocks below, allowing the tide to rip her broken body into the sea. It would be so easy. A simple turn of the wheel and she would never have to face the struggles that lie ahead of her. "Maybe I do need those painkillers," she muttered to herself, allowing the car a sizable distance from the edge of the road.

Finally, she reached a small town by the sea, where Maria lived. She parked some distance away from the girl's house. The walk would allow her enough time to think of what to say. Hailey knew that the entire situation was ridiculous. She was about to approach a total stranger, explain to her that every bad thing her parents had ever told her to scare her into being good actually existed, and that they were all coming after her. Hailey shoved her cowboy hat on her head, which Amelia had been so kind as to retrieve from her hotel in London, and began walking.

"Hello, my name is Hailey Travers. You need to come with me, you're in serious danger," Hailey said quietly to herself as she walked. "No, that's no good." Pondering for a moment, she tried again. "Maria – I understand that this may come as a shock to you, but you're not just a normal, teenage girl. You have a sacred destiny," Hailey attempted. "Sacred destiny?" She asked herself, chuckling. "What the hell is that?" She stopped walking once she reached the front door of Maria's house. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand, curled her fingers into a fist, and knocked on the door.

A moment later, a young woman answered it. "Maria?" Hailey asked. The girl nodded. "There's something I need to tell you," Hailey began, only to stop when she saw the soft smile on the girl's face. "What?" She asked in confusion.

"Lo siento," Maria said. "Pero, no hablo ingles."

Hailey groaned. "You don't speak English," she said. "And I don't speak Spanish. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" She muttered to herself, realizing that it was impossible to convey the gravity of the situation to the girl through an impenetrable language barrier. She momentarily considered flashcards before dismissing the idea. She did not have time. "Look, kid, I'm sorry to have to do this, but I don't see any other way," Hailey apologized as she lashed her fist out, connecting solidly with the side of the young woman's head. Maria dropped to the floor unconscious.

Hailey sighed and glanced around, hoping that no one had seen her. Hoisting the girl over her shoulder, Hailey began the long walk back to the car. Groaning to herself, she murmured, "This is gonna end badly."


	5. The Face of Death

Night Falls

Notes: Sorry for the delay, but life has been getting in the way of writing. I just started a new job, so I've been rather exhausted. At any rate, here's the new chapter. Review!

Previously:

"Yes, you do," Amelia replied seriously. "We've located three potential Slayers living in Spain. Once you've recovered, the Coven wants you to locate these girls and transport them to Sunnydale, California, where you will join the Slayer in the battle against the First."

Chapter Four:

Maria had quieted considerably since the second potential began narrating nearly the entire history of the Slayer line. Hailey groaned and resisted the urge to bang her head against the window. Finding the second potential had not been difficult, but her nerves were frayed and she longed for a moment of silence. The girl had not stopped talking since she found her. "Hey, Colleen?" Hailey said, interrupting the flow of Spanish from the backseat.

"Yeah?" Colleen asked eagerly.

"I think Maria gets the point. Maybe you should explain to her why exactly I just kidnapped her," Hailey replied wearily.

"Oh," the younger girl responded. "Sure. I can do that." The stream of Spanish began again and Hailey grimaced. She had been fortunate that Colleen was not actually a native of Spain, but a native of Minneapolis. Her Watcher had found her and took her back to England for several years before the Council sent them both to Spain. Although Colleen did not speak fluent Spanish, she knew enough to carry on a conversation with Maria. After several minutes, she popped her head into the front seat of the car.

"She understands," she said, smiling widely, her long, brown hair hanging loose in her face.

"She does?" Hailey asked doubtfully.

"I told her that she was a potential Slayer, that the First Evil was trying to kill her, and that you only kidnapped her to save her life," Colleen replied.

"And she's cool with all that?" Hailey countered.

"Well," Colleen said, glancing back at the curiously silent girl in the back seat, "she hasn't tried to escape yet."

Hailey glanced into the rearview mirror, intently gazing at Maria's face. Her dark eyes were wide and Hailey could see a mixture of fear and understanding dawning in them. "Keep an eye on her, huh?" She said, glancing over at Colleen, who nodded and disappeared into the backseat again.

Finally, silence filled the car. She still had one potential to locate. The Watchers had a protocol that they made their potentials memorize, in case anything were to happen. Simply stated, the surviving girls were to leave their places of residence and check into the nearest hotel, where they were to wait for another Watcher to locate them. Colleen had followed those instructions to the letter, making Hailey's job much easier than she had anticipated. She only hoped that the third potential was as dutiful to her instructions. Hailey glanced up at the storm clouds gathering overhead.

"I don't think we're going to make it there tonight," she said.

"How much longer do we have?" Colleen asked.

"Three hours," Hailey replied. "But it's already getting dark and there's a storm coming."

"And an army marches on its stomach," Colleen pointed out.

"There's a town up ahead. We'll stay there tonight, get some food, and leave in the morning," Hailey planned.

The lights of the town twinkled amber in the coming darkness. The sun slowly began to sink below the horizon, a splash of deep red spreading out across the ground as it disappeared. It almost looked like blood. After checking into a hotel, the three girls walked to a nearby café. Hailey noticed Maria throwing her many sidelong glances that spoke of either fear or trust. She could not figure out which. According to Colleen, the girl understood what was going on, but Hailey doubted that she would understand anything until someone tried to kill her.

They sat down in the café and ordered. The smell of food nearly drove Hailey insane. They had not eaten all day. The third girl lived in northern Spain, whereas the other two had lived in the southern end, by the sea. They had been driving for nearly two days and had almost reached their destination. Despite some initial setbacks, they had made good time. Once Maria regained consciousness, Hailey had to stop several times to secure her in the backseat. She thought that she was being kidnapped and had tried everything in her power to escape. Fortunately, Hailey knew how to restrain people. It had been a part of her training. Once Colleen joined them, Maria calmed down considerably, perhaps realizing that something more was going on than she had previously believed.

Hailey glanced around the restaurant, happily noting that their entrance had not drawn the attention of the locals. Finally, her eyes rested on Maria. The young girl was staring at her, as if she was trying to unravel some great mystery. "What?" Hailey asked finally, when the girl's gaze became unnerving.

"Destino?" Maria asked softly.

Hailey flashed her a crooked grin. "Yeah," she answered. "Destiny."

"Vampiros?" Maria asked again, this time with a bemused twinkle in her eyes.

Hailey's smiled faded and she distinctly felt as though Maria was silently mocking her. "You explained all this to her, right?" She asked, looking over at Colleen.

"I explained everything to the best of my ability. I'm not really fluent though," the girl replied defensively. "I thought she understood."

"Oh, she understands," Hailey responded bitterly, "she just thinks we're full of shit."

"How do you know that?" Colleen asked.

"Her eyes are laughing at me," Hailey answered, staring deeply into Maria's dark brown eyes. "I think she needs to see for herself."

"Wait," Colleen said. "What do you mean by that?"

"There's a cemetery in this town," Hailey said to Colleen, though her eyes never shifted from Maria's face. "I think it's time you girls got out there and did a little hunting on your own."

"I don't know," Colleen replied hesitantly. "My Watcher didn't think that I was ready for that."

"Well, you're Watcher's dead," Hailey replied, her voice softening when she saw the pain in Colleen's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know it's harsh, but it's true. Whatever applied before doesn't now. Things are different."

"Why are they so different?" Colleen asked. Maria watched the interaction between the two women intently. She was starting to understand that something drew them altogether. Although she did not know either of them, she felt as though they were connected. They shared something deeper than the obvious, something primal. When Hailey, as Colleen had later told her was the British woman's name, had taken her hostage, it had awoken something in Maria. She felt her blood rush through her veins when the sun rose and set, as if the act held some significance that it had not before. There was a strength in her that she had never known. But she was eager to discover the full extent of it and she felt as though Hailey could help her. She pulled herself from her thoughts, focusing on the words that Hailey was speaking, though she did not understand them.

"This isn't a practice run, kid," Hailey replied, realizing that perhaps Colleen did not know the full extent of what was happening. "It's not just your Watcher that's dead. All of them are. The entire Council has been destroyed. As far as I know, it's just us. This is the end of the world and we have to get to Sunnydale before the big battle starts."

"The end of the world?" Colleen asked, audibly gulping.

"Yeah," Hailey replied. "How do you say that in Spanish?"

"El fin del mundo," Colleen said softly. Maria's eyes whipped up at the phrase.

"Hear that?" Hailey asked, capturing Maria's attention. "El fin del mundo. No joke."

"What's in Sunnydale?" Colleen asked suddenly.

Hailey smiled grimly. "The Slayer and the Hellmouth."

………………………..

"Okay, listen up," Hailey explained. They were standing in the middle of a cemetery just outside of town. A light rain blew down from the heavens, covering her skin with a sheen of moisture. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The two girls standing in front of her glanced around nervously, shifting from one foot to the other. "This is a stake," Hailey said, holding up the wooden weapon. Maria's eyes went wide for a moment. "I'm not going to kill you," Hailey said softly, though she knew that Maria could not understand a word she was saying. Slowly, she reached out and handed the weapon to the frightened girl.

"Explain to her what to do with that thing," Hailey said to Colleen. The girl nodded and spoke rapidly to Maria, explaining how to hunt and kill vampires. Maria glanced back and forth between them for several moments before she burst out laughing.

"I told you she was mocking us," Hailey said after the girl's laughter had subsided.

"She won't be for long," Colleen said, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Why's that?" Hailey asked wearily, rubbing her temples. Pain shot through her brain in waves, slamming into her before receding in a slow burn. Her ribs had healed for the most part, but her fractured skull was healing much slower. It was giving her migraines. Her mind briefly wandered back to the bottle of painkillers sitting on the passenger's seat of the car, but she shook the thought away.

"Vampire," Colleen said, pointing to a figure moving through the cemetery several yards behind Hailey.

Hailey turned and watched the vampire approach. "Must think it's his lucky night," Hailey muttered. "Three helpless girls wandering around in the cemetery in the middle of the night."

"What do we do?" Colleen asked, panic evident in her voice.

"Relax," Hailey said. "I've killed a lot of vampires in my time."

"But you're not the Slayer and you're wounded," Colleen protested.

"No, I'm not the Slayer. But that doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm doing. You don't have to be the Slayer to kill vampires. You just have to know how to fight," Hailey explained. "A Slayer with all of the strength and speed in the world wouldn't be able to do shit without knowing how to use it. And I'm alright. I've had worse," Hailey replied, though she could not actually think of a time when she had sustained as many injuries as the explosion had inflicted upon her. However, if she thought about the black bruise covering her shoulder, or the lacerations on her side, or the blistering burns on her arms and back, she knew that she would not be able to fight.

Hailey took another stake out of the waistband of her black jeans. "Watch," she instructed. Moving forward, she sidestepped the vampire as he lunged towards her. Slamming her fist into his back, the vampire collapsed on the ground. Hailey suppressed a groan of pain as her shoulder protested her actions. "Didn't think this would be a challenge, huh?" Hailey asked angrily, straddling him and flipped him over. His eyes glowed yellow in the night and his fangs glinted white. "You think I'm afraid of you?" Hailey whispered, leaning closer. "Think again." Slamming the stake down into the vampire's heart, she looked up at the girls as if exploded into a pile of dust.

"Vampiro," Hailey said, rising to her feet. "Destino. Understand?"

Maria nodded and looked down at the stake in her hand. "Yes," she said hesitantly.

"Good," Hailey replied, genuinely smiling through the pain. "Let's go get some sleep then."

………………………….

The next day, they reached the town where the third potential lived just as the sun had reached its highest point in the sky. It was hot, but a light breeze blew through the streets. Hailey's body creaked and groaned like a machine that had not been oiled in decades. All of her muscles screamed at her angrily for fighting and for remaining seated in the car for long stretches of time. Though Hailey would have been more concerned for her health in normal times, she knew that if she hesitated or dallied, it could mean death for them all. She needed to get to Sunnydale. Once she was there, she could take the time she needed to heal. Until then, she would suffer through the pain, the sleepless nights, and the mental exhaustion.

Approaching the hotel room door, Hailey began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. The lights were off in the room, though it was the middle of the day, and something did not seem right to her. She stopped walking just in front of the door, listening intently. "What is it?" Colleen asked, breaking her concentration.

"Something doesn't seem right," Hailey replied honestly. Reaching out, she gripped the doorknob and pushed. It slide open with little effort. Stepping into the room, she flipped on the lights. "Jesus," she muttered, averting her eyes. They had been too late. The third potential's body, or most of it, was lying on the bed. The rest was trailed into the bathroom. Blood was splattered over the walls, more blood than Hailey thought could even be held in a human body. Behind her, she heard Maria's footsteps as she ran over to some bushes and vomited. Hailey looked up again, taking in the room. The dead girl's face was twisted in pain, a silent scream locked forever on her lips. However, her body had started to decompose and Hailey knew that all of the speed in the world would not have gotten them there in time to save her. She had been dead for nearly a week. Turning, she glanced at Colleen, whose face was blank and pale.

"You okay?" Hailey asked, laying a hand on her shoulder. Colleen jumped at the contact, her eyes coming into focus again.

"That could have been me," she whispered.

"Yeah," Hailey agreed. "But it's not. And it won't be so long as you're with me."

"How do you know that?" Colleen asked.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, either of you," she said, glancing over at Maria, who was wiping her mouth and walking back.

"Vamos?" Maria asked in a shaking voice. "Sunnydale?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Colleen agreed. Hailey closed the hotel room door and followed the two girls as they walked back to the car. There was an airport not an hour away. Hailey did not care to where they flew, so long as it was in United States. Once they reached familiar ground, they would go to Los Angeles. Hailey contemplated flying directly to Sunnydale, but she knew that it would not be safe. Besides, there was someone she needed to see in Los Angeles. Someone incredibly important.


	6. The Slayer

Night Falls

Notes: No need to fear, the Buffy characters are not going to be out shadowed by my original character. I intend for Faith and Willow to be the leads in this story. However, I did have to get the story from point A to point B so to speak. So thanks for bearing with me.

Previously:

"Vamos?" Maria asked in a shaking voice. "Sunnydale?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Colleen agreed.

Chapter Five:

Supposedly the pile of steaming noodles sitting front of her was spaghetti; however, Faith always thought that spaghetti sauce had more of the consistency of chili than tomato soup. While she appreciated three squares a day, she did not appreciate the oppressive block prison food seemed to form in her stomach. "I can't eat this shit," she muttered, pushing her tray away from her.

A lanky, stringy haired druggie leaned over, her eyes shining unnaturally, and whispered excitedly, "Hey, you gonna eat that?"

"It's all yours, kid," Faith replied, grimacing when the girl yanked the tray towards her and began wolfing it down. The sauce leaked out of the corners of her mouth and it reminded Faith of blood. Looking away before her stomach decided to rid itself of what she had eaten, she surveyed the cafeteria. She had heard that the only way to survive in prison was to beat the shit out of someone on the first day or to become someone's bitch. She had never been anyone's bitch and she did not intend to become one. She had won a great deal of respect from the other women by beating the shit out of the biggest, toughest chick in the place, but she was starting to notice that respect waning.

She had not repeated the performance. She knew that if she was going to embrace the path to redemption, she had to change things. A part of her wanted to lash out and bust a few heads every time someone pissed her off, but she knew that if she went down that road, she would never come back. As it was, she had barely managed to save herself the first time around. Without Angel's help, she knew that she would be dead, or worse. Her eyes rested on a woman affectionately named Big Bertha by the rest of the inmates. She was the type of woman that could have been a man at first glance – big, nondescript, and dangerous. Faith had not had any trouble with Big Bertha, but she was starting to worry. The looks the other woman was flashing her from across the cafeteria only increased that concern. Big Bertha stood and began walking towards Faith, stalking like a tiger.

"Hey," a voice said from behind her. Faith turned and saw two guards standing there, holding guns that were nearly bigger than them. _Overcompensation_, Faith thought to herself and threw them a cocky grin.

"What's up, boys? Whatever it is, I didn't do it," she said, throwing her hands up in mock innocence.

"Yeah, like we haven't heard that one before," one of the guards snickered.

"You got a visitor. Let's go," the other said, motioning for her to follow. In addition to winning the respect of the rest of the inmates, Faith had also won the respect of the guards. She had only gotten into one fight that she started. Other than that, she had tried to stay out of trouble. Sometimes, trouble found her, but Faith could hardly be blamed for that. After all, it was a prison and no one in it was an angel. The guards were wary around all of the prisoners, but they knew they had nothing to worry about with Faith. There were some prisoners that they did not take chances with, but Faith was not one of those.

As they walked down the hallway towards the visitors' room, the guards let their guns drop down by their sides and they visibly relaxed. "Beautiful day out," one of them said.

"Yeah?" Faith asked. "Maybe I'll go for a bike ride," she said sarcastically.

"I'm sure we could arrange that," the other guard joked.

"How're the kids?" Faith asked.

"Good," the man replied. "Thanks for asking."

"Here we are," the other said, opening the door for Faith. "You know the drill."

Faith nodded and stepped into the room, her eyes resting on the empty chair in her booth. She had not had any visitors in a long time – several months. Angel used to come regularly, but she knew that he had a mission. The fight against evil was not going to give him a day off so that he could visit old friends. While she respected his dedication to the job, she had to admit that she got lonely in prison. She was always surrounded by people, but sometimes she just wanted to see a familiar face. However, when she sat down and stared through the glass at the woman sitting across from her, she was greeted by a stranger. She picked up the phone, which the other woman already had to her ear.

"Looks like you hit a shit storm," Faith muttered into receiver as she glanced the woman over. She had taken a serious beating. The woman smiled and raised her eyebrows slightly.

"You could say that," she replied in a slight English accent.

"From the Council?" Faith asked immediately.

"Not exactly," the woman replied evasively.

"What does that mean?" Faith demanded.

"No one is from the Council anymore. It's gone," the woman answered. "It was destroyed a little while ago."

"Destroyed?" Faith asked, barely able to believe it. "It's gone? Just like that?"

"Well, with a lot of explosives and general mayhem, but yeah, just like that," the woman said.

"So then what are you here for?" Faith asked, suspicious again of the woman sitting across from her. Her instincts were screaming at her not to trust her, but there was something sincere in her eyes that Faith felt herself believing and she hated herself for falling for it.

"To get you out," the woman answered. "My name is Hailey Travers. I used to work for the Council. I was a potential Slayer."

"Was?" Faith asked. "Didn't think you got to quit that job."

"You don't," Hailey replied dryly. "But it quit on me."

"Meaning?" Faith asked.

"I never got called. Moved onto other things," Hailey answered. "Look, my life story isn't really all that important."

"What is important?" Faith asked, studying the woman sitting across from her. She looked as though she had survived a war. Her face was bruised and a partially healed gash ran down the side of her face, by her eye. Though Faith could not see, she knew that the woman had other, more serious injuries, hidden beneath the surface. Pain lingered in her eyes and she hesitated when she spoke, as if she were trying to pull the words from a part of her brain that wanted to quit on her.

"The First Evil. I know you haven't heard of it. But it's been picking off the line of Slayers. The theory is, if it can kill all of the potentials before the Slayer dies, than there will be no one to take her place once she perishes. The line of Slayers will end and evil won't have anything to oppose it," Hailey explained. "It's been tried before, but no one has ever been successful, until now."

"The First took out the Council and now it's looking to take out everyone else," Faith surmised.

"Yeah," Hailey agreed. "It's already executed a number of potentials. The rest are in Sunnydale."

"Of course," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "Why wouldn't they go to the one place that attracts every form of evil imaginable?"

"I know this is rather sudden," Hailey said. "But I need to get you out of here – today. We have to go to Sunnydale."

"I don't particularly think that I'm wanted in Sunnydale," Faith replied bitterly.

"Maybe not. But you're needed there. Listen to me, Faith. The Council had many opportunities in the past four or so years to kill you. But they didn't. You know why? Because I'm the daughter of the man who ran the damn thing and I told him not to. I knew that you would be important. He didn't always listen to me. As a matter of fact, you were the only thing he did listen to me about. I'm glad he did. But if you're gonna be a pussy and cop out of this fight because you're scared of a couple of stupid people, than I guess I was wrong about you," Hailey said heatedly, rising out of her chair.

"Hold on," Faith replied quickly. "Don't go getting up just yet. I never said no. I just don't like it."

"We don't have time for you to contemplate the unpleasantness of returning to Sunnydale, not when all of our lives hang in the balance. You think you're impervious because you're in here? The First Evil is everywhere, Faith. It'll find you," Hailey warned.

"I'm getting that," Faith replied. She leaned back in her chair, her mind reeling. She could easily break out of prison. From the moment she went into police custody, she was never really a prisoner. She was a volunteer. If what Hailey was saying was true, than Buffy would need her help whether she wanted it or not. Though Faith was loath to face the Scooby Gang again, she knew that she needed to make amends with them if she was ever going to move on with her life. Besides, the idea of seeing Buffy again was nearly enough to persuade her to go. She had blown all of her chances with the blonde slayer, if she had ever had a chance to begin with. But maybe, if nothing else, she could be the older girl's friend once everything was said and done.

"Well?" Hailey asked impatiently.

"So how were you thinking I'd get out of here?" Faith finally asked. Hailey smiled. Faith, despite herself, found herself smiling back.

"Usually I would use my sway to get you out by more legal means," Hailey said.

"Wait, your sway?" Faith asked.

"I'm a sheriff," Hailey explained.

"The enemy," Faith muttered jokingly.

"Not really," Hailey said. "Vampires were more my enemy than people. I hardly ever arrested anyone. This glass, it isn't too thick, is it?" Hailey asked and Faith instantly knew what the other woman was thinking.

"You want me to bust through, sheriff?" Faith asked, grinning like the cat that had caught the canary.

"Yeah," Hailey said. "Right about now would be good." Hanging up with phone, Hailey took several steps back. Faith rose to her feet, her muscles tensing as she backed up. The guards looked at each other, wondering at her strange behavior. Their wonder soon turned to alarm when Faith darted forward, diving head first through the glass partition that separated her from the outside world. Glass blew apart in front of her, spraying into the other side of the room. Faith curled her body in mid air and rolled into a standing position when she hit the floor.

"And now?" She asked breathlessly, once she was on her feet.

"Run," Hailey replied. They sprinted through the visitors' area, capitalizing on the guards' shock. They made it out of the building before anyone reacted. A car was waiting for them near the door. Hailey slipped into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut, turning the keys as the engine roared to life. Faith slid across the hood, wincing as a bullet struck behind her, and dove into the passenger's seat. Once the door slammed shut behind her, Hailey stomped on the gas. The car sped out of the parking lot. The guards shot several rounds at them as they fled, but the car soon vanished from sight.

"They following us?" Hailey asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"Not yet," Colleen replied from the backseat. "But I don't suggest we wait around to find out."

"Who are they?" Faith asked, glancing back at the two young girls.

"Potentials," Hailey replied. "The one on the right is Maria, she doesn't speak English. The one on the left is Colleen."

"It's nice to meet you," Colleen said to the stranger. "But who is she?" She asked Hailey.

Hailey grinned as she let up on the gas and merged onto the freeway, heading towards Sunnydale. The cops would be looking for them, no doubt, but she had a considerable lead. She just hoped that she could get out of town before they had every uniformed officer in the city looking for them. "This is the Slayer," Hailey said. "Her name's Faith."

"I thought you said the Slayer was in Sunnydale?" Colleen asked in confusion.

"_A_ Slayer is in Sunnydale," Hailey clarified. "_The_ Slayer is sitting right in front of you."


	7. Arrival

Night Falls

Previously:

"This is the Slayer," Hailey said. "Her name's Faith."

"I thought you said the Slayer was in Sunnydale?" Colleen asked in confusion.

"_A_ Slayer is in Sunnydale," Hailey clarified. "_The_ Slayer is sitting right in front of you."

Chapter Six:

"You know, when I said that it looked like you hit a shit storm, I was putting it lightly. What happened to you anyway?" Faith asked. The high beams of an oncoming car lit up her face and she squinted at the sudden change from dark to light. The car passed and night fell back over her face. The two potentials in the backseat had fallen asleep shortly after they escaped from Los Angeles. Though Faith knew that the police would be searching for all of them, she was more worried about what was lying ahead than what lay behind.

"I was in the vault of the Watcher's Council headquarters in London when it exploded. It was made of reinforced steel, which is the only reason I survived," Hailey said wearily, her accent strengthening as she grew tired. "It's been a long couple of days and, to be honest, I can't wait to get to Sunnydale. Maybe then I can finally rest a bit."

"Something tells me that you won't be resting much in good 'ol Sunnyhell," Faith joked. "Not with the First Evil around."

"I think you might be right," Hailey agreed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Faith pick up the discarded bottle of painkillers that had fallen onto the passenger's seat floor.

"What're these?" Faith asked curiously.

"Painkillers," Hailey replied. "The doctors prescribed them for me."

"In a lot of pain?" Faith asked, looking over at the older girl.

"Quite a bit actually," Hailey acknowledged.

"You haven't taken very many of these," Faith pointed out, shaking the bottle to emphasize her point. The rattling of the pills in the plastic bottle shot through Hailey's brain and reminded her of the not so distant past.

_"Here, try this," Tanya said, handing Hailey a shot glass._

_"What's in it?" Hailey asked, noticing the small, white capsule lying on the bottom of the glass. Tanya smiled and grabbed the back of Hailey's head, pulling her into a scorching kiss. Hailey felt her knees weaken when her girlfriend's tongue slid into her mouth, heat and silk sliding through her. Then Tanya moved away, leaving Hailey gasping for breath and another taste._

_"Who cares," she whispered into Hailey's ear, her breath tickling the girl's sensitive skin. Hailey smiled and downed the shot with a quick flick of her wrist. "Come on," Tanya said, grabbing her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor of the club. "I want to dance."_

"Hello," Faith said, waving her hand in front of Hailey's face. "You in there somewhere?"

"What?" Hailey asked, looking over at the Slayer, blinking rapidly as reality came back to her.

"I asked you a question," Faith said, her voice on the verge of laughter. "But you spaced out on me."

"Sorry, what did you want to know?" Hailey asked, shaking away the feel of Tanya's breath against the side of her neck. She shuddered and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, the black road snaked out in front of her for miles, the yellow line to her left flashing as the headlights struck the reflectors hugging it.

"You haven't taken many of these things," Faith repeated.

"I used to have a drug problem," Hailey said.

"Used to?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Hailey replied.

"So then you wouldn't mind if I just threw them out the window?" Faith asked, moving her hand to roll down the window of the rental car. Hailey shot her a glare. "What?" Faith asked innocently. Based on her experience was drug addicts, she knew that Hailey would rather throw herself out of the car than see the pills destroyed, even if she was twelve stepping her way to freedom.

"I haven't tried to throw any of your belongings out of the car," Hailey noted irritably. She knew that Faith was testing her. She also knew that she would fail.

"I don't have any belongings to throw out," Faith shot back. "None that I could get addicted to anyway," she added in a mumble.

"I'm not going to take them," Hailey repeated.

"So then why keep them around?" Faith asked, honestly wanting to know.

"Maybe I just like to know that they're there," Hailey replied after a long pause. Faith could hear sadness in her voice, as well as defeat.

"Guess you never really get over some things, huh?" Faith said. Hailey smiled a little and nodded.

"Guess not."

"You know," the former rogue Slayer said, changing the subject, "night really isn't the best time to be rolling into Sunnydale. Especially when you're marked for death."

"We couldn't exactly wait for morning. We're all wanted in Los Angeles now, remember? We'll be safer once we reach Buffy's house," Hailey said. She knew that Faith was right. They should have pulled over at a motel and waited the night out, continuing on in the morning. But Hailey felt an urgency to reach Sunnydale that she could not explain. At the same time, however, she also felt a lingering dread crawling up the base of her spine. The First Evil was much the same as an ancient, deadly shark and they were bleeding all over the water.

"Why's that?" Faith asked bitterly. "Big bad B gonna keep the evil away?"

Hailey laughed, her laughter coming even harder when she saw the angry look on Faith's face. "No," Hailey finally said when she regained control of herself, her voice still trembling a bit. "Buffy's house really isn't any safer than anywhere else. But all the rest of the potentials are there."

"So once we get there, you won't have to worry about being responsible for those two anymore," Faith realized, nodding to the sleeping girls in the back seat.

"I may be good at a lot of things, but I'm not a Slayer. I don't have the strength that you or Buffy have. I can fight, but I can defeat everything. I can't protect them forever," Hailey replied slowly.

"You said you were a sheriff, right? A sheriff who hunted vampires?" Faith asked, her curiosity leading her questions. Faith did not trust many people, but somehow she knew that she could trust Hailey. Much like herself, Hailey was damaged, but she was also a warrior. Faith could see the same pain lingering in Hailey's deep blue eyes that lingered in her own dark ones.

"That's right," Hailey answered.

"So then how did you kill the vampires?" Faith asked.

Hailey smiled excitedly. "In the backseat, between the two girls, there's a brown duffel bag in top of the black one."

Faith reached back, pulling the bag into the front seat. "Okay," she said.

"Open it up and pull the gun out," Hailey replied. Faith looked over at her for a moment before zipping the bag open. A dusty, black cowboy hat was lying on top. Faith pulled it out and smiled, chuckling to herself.

"What's this, sheriff?" She asked. Hailey frowned and grabbed the hat from the dark haired girl.

"Never mess with the hat," she warned half seriously.

"Fair enough," Faith replied, throwing her hands up defensively. Rooting around in the bag, she finally pulled out Hailey's gun. "What's so special about this thing?"

"The gun?" Hailey asked. "Absolutely nothing. What's so special is inside."

Faith removed the clip and pulled out one of the bullets. "This isn't a normal bullet is it?"

"It's a UV bullet," Hailey confirmed. "It kills vampires on contact."

"Seriously?" Faith asked, looking over at her counterpart in surprise.

"Yeah," Hailey replied, grinning when she saw the look on Faith's face. "Pretty cool, huh?"  
"Wicked," Faith replied. "How can I get me one of these?"

"I have a friend on London. He makes the bullets. I need him to ship me some more. They're hard to make, so he can only send small quantities at a time," Hailey answered. "He could have been making a lot more if my father would have approved funding for him."

"Your father was Quentin Travers?" Faith asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah. He died in the explosion," Hailey replied, her voice tainted with remorse.

"Sorry," Faith said awkwardly. "Can't really say I liked the guy."

"Can't really say I did either," Hailey replied. "For years I tried to get him to modernize the Council, approve funding for UV bullets, things like that. But he wouldn't listen. What I wanted would have given the Slayer more control and he was all about the power."

"Looks like we're here," Faith said suddenly. A sign flashed by them that read 'Welcome to Sunnydale.' "Anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" Faith asked softly.

"For a different reason, I think," Hailey replied.

"Does she even know that I'm coming?" Faith asked. She hated the way that Buffy made her feel. One part of her wanted nothing more than to see the blonde Slayer again. But the other part knew that if she did, only bad would come of it. She loved and hated the other girl at the same time. A constant struggle waged in her heart, pulling her in too many directions. Whenever she was around Buffy, she felt like something was yanking her apart, scattering her to the wolves.

"No," Hailey replied. "It's better that way."

"Why's that?" Faith asked, her voice small and soft. Hailey could hear the vulnerable girl that resided somewhere in Faith's heart struggling to break free.

"She won't have any time to think about it," she replied. "When she does, she'll realize that having you around is better anyway."

"Two Slayers are better than one," Faith said bitterly.

"That's true," Hailey said. "But she knows how you fight. She's fought beside you before. I imagine it's been quite difficult for her patrolling with a bunch of people she's never fought with. There isn't any understanding there, or trust."

"Something tells me that she doesn't really trust me," Faith replied sarcastically.

"No, but the Slayer in her trusts the Slayer in you," Hailey said.

"Do you know how to get there?" Faith asked. They pulled out onto Main Street and Hailey shook her head.

"Not a clue," she replied.

"Cut a left here," Faith said. Hailey turned and found herself on Miatta Drive. The streets became darker as they entered a community. "Buffy's street is two blocks up on the left."

"Revello Drive, right?" Hailey asked, vaguely remembering the address from Buffy's file with the Council.

"Yeah," Faith replied. "But I think we're gonna have to walk it."

"Why's that?" Hailey asked, looking over at her. Faith pointed at the windshield.

"Take a look," she said. Hailey followed Faith's finger and slammed on the brakes. A wall of Bringers stood blocking the road. Their knives flashed in the headlights of the car. One of the Bringers licked his lips.

"Shit," Hailey muttered.

"What's going on?" Colleen asked sleepily, waking up at the sudden stop. Maria leaned forward and gasped.

"It's okay," Hailey said, looking back at the girls.

"How is this okay?" Faith whispered harshly.

"You're the Slayer, you tell me," Hailey replied. The Bringers advanced, moving from a steady walk into a run.

"I got an idea," Faith said finally. "Haul ass and run."


	8. The Shift

Night Falls

Previously:

"Take a look," she said. Hailey followed Faith's finger and slammed on the brakes. A wall of Bringers stood blocking the road. Their knives flashed in the headlights of the car. One of the Bringers licked his lips.

"Shit," Hailey muttered.

Chapter Seven:

Dawn felt a shift in energy. If anyone had asked her, she would not have been able to explain it, except to say that something changed in her. All of the sudden, she had the undeniable urge to stand, walk across the room, and gaze out of the window. It was as if the night was beckoning to her; more than that, it was as if something outside was pulling at something inside of her. She tried to focus on the rousing, yet utterly depressing speech that Buffy was giving, but her mind kept drifting back to the change. The air around her was charged. It felt as though a storm was brewing, black clouds rolling in advance of thunder and lightening.

"A building of something," Dawn muttered to herself. Giles apparently heard her, as he glanced over at her, the skin between his eyes wrinkling as he frowned.

"What did you say?" He asked lowly. Buffy either did not hear him, or choose to ignore him.

"You're here because someone else didn't make it. This isn't a game. Some of you will die – all of you might die. It's not my decision," Buffy was saying.

"Nothing," Dawn whispered. But Giles did not look away; instead, he scooted closer to her on the sofa.

"I heard you say something," he insisted.

"It's nothing," Dawn replied harshly. "I just felt something is all."

"Felt what?" Giles asked. Ever since he had learned of Dawn's true identity, as an ancient mystical key, he had been curious as to whether she had inherited any sort of gifts as a result of her origins. Though he longed to test her, he did not think that Buffy would approve. The Slayer was fiercely protective of her younger sister and even more resistant to the Council and their methods of research.

"A change," Dawn replied, looking down at her hands. "Like the air was speeding up. Something shifted." Dawn looked across the room at the window. Xander, Anya, and Willow were sitting on the couch across from her. Kennedy was perched on the armrest beside Willow, persistent in her supposed courtship of the Wicca, though Willow did not seem enthralled with the idea of dating again. Buffy stood in the center of the room and Spike stood off to the side, watching her intently. The rest of the potentials were gathered about the room, sitting where they could find space.

"What kind of change?" Giles prodded.

"I really want to go look out that window," Dawn muttered irritably. Rising to her feet, she tiptoed through the mess of people, moving over to the window. Pulling aside the curtains with one of her hands, she gazed out into the darkness. For a moment, she only saw the empty street, lit by a streetlamp that cast an amber glow on the sidewalk. Then she saw something move. She could see four shapes running through the darkness. "Buffy," Dawn said, recognizing the leader of the group as she ran into the light. Buffy ignored her. Dawn turned and looked back at her sister. "Buffy!" She said, capturing the older girl's attention.

"What is it, Dawn?" Buffy asked, obviously aggravated at having been interrupted.

"Faith's outside," Dawn said, looking back out of the window. "And she's not alone."

Buffy felt her blood run cold at the mention of Faith's name. Her initial reaction was of anger, but it was quickly replaced by something else – regret. She tried to shake the feeling away, but it lingered in the back of her mind, gnawing at her thoughts. "What?" She asked in surprise.

"Bringers are chasing her. She's got three girls with her," Dawn said. One of the girls ran beside Faith. She wore a black cowboy hat and was carrying a brown duffel bag. Faith had a black duffel bag strapped onto her shoulder. Behind them ran two younger girls, both dark haired and afraid.

Buffy quickly moved to the door, throwing it open. The rest of the group followed. Those who did not know Faith were eager to see what the commotion was about. Those who did were eager to see if the once rogue Slayer was still working for the other side. Faith immediately saw the light of the foyer spilling out onto Buffy's front porch. "Run to the door!" She commanded, watching with satisfaction as Colleen and Maria bolted towards Buffy's house.

She and Hailey stopped once they reached the front lawn and let their bags slide onto the grass. Pulling out her spare gun, Hailey handed it to Faith. "I thought you said these bullets were scarce?" Faith asked, taking the gun.

"They are," Hailey replied. "But we're only going to shoot one. I'm hoping this will scare them away," she said, raising her gun into the air. She pulled the trigger and a loud bang issued forth, echoing down the street. The Bringers halted. Faith lifted her gun and pointed at it the nearest one.

"That's right," she said. "We're packing heat, so if I were you, I'd run along home to mommy and daddy."

Buffy could not help but smirk at Faith's quip. The Bringers hesitated and then slowly began to back away, silently and quickly disappearing into the night. Hailey and Faith breathed a collective sigh of relief and lowered their weapons. Grabbing the duffel bags, they turned and walked quickly to the house. "How's it going, B?" Faith asked, grinning widely to mask the turmoil of emotions running through her. She felt her stomach squeeze into knots when she saw the blonde Slayer eying her from inside of the house. She handed the gun back to Hailey, knowing that her possession of a firearm would only exacerbate the situation.

Buffy was experiencing as similar roller coaster of emotions as she gazed at the younger Slayer. But like Faith, she had learned to hide them. "Better now that I can see you're not working for the First," she said, noting the flash of pain that shot through Faith's eyes before the other girl could conceal it. Time had changed Faith, Buffy could see it, but she was not so willing to acknowledge it. Faith never would have allowed that flash of pain to show all of those years before. Now, however, Faith could not easily disguise it.

"Play nice," Hailey muttered, feeling Faith tense beside her. Buffy looked over at the new girl.

"Who are you?" She demanded, instantly disliking the girl standing next to Faith. Perhaps it was her confident stance, her appraising stare, or the intimate way in which she spoke to Faith that made Buffy both jealous and wary of her.

"Dear God," Giles said as he stepped forward from behind Buffy. "Hailey? Surely it can't be you."

"In the flesh," Hailey said, smiling as she stepped forward and pulled Giles into a tight embrace. "Although not for a lack of trying on the First's part," she added.

"I thought you were dead," Giles said when they finally broke apart. "When I heard of the explosion, I was sure you had been killed."

"Funny thing that," Hailey said, entering the house as Giles ushered her inside, despite Buffy's silent protests. Colleen, Maria, and Faith filed in behind her, all shifting on their feet anxiously. "I was in the vault when the building exploded."

"It protected you," Giles reasoned. "I imagine that's the only reason why you're alive today."

"It is," Hailey confirmed. "Oh, I got something for you," she said, dumping her bag on the floor and reaching for the bag Faith was holding. Faith handed it to her and smiled uneasily at Giles, lowering her gaze to the floor.

"What's this?" Giles asked as Hailey passed the bag to him.

"It's what you wanted," she said. "The diaries and some other stuff I managed to get before everything went kaboom. I would have gotten more, but you know what happened."

"Thank you very much," Giles said appreciatively. He quickly moved off into the living room, eager to explore the contents of the bag.

"Break out of prison much?" Xander asked, looking at Faith. Faith glanced down at her clothes, groaning when she realized that she was still wearing her prison uniform.

"I thought prison was meant to keep the murderers in," Willow muttered.

"Do you mind?" Hailey asked, shooting a glare over at the redhead.

"Excuse me?" Willow said, unaware that she had been heard by anyone.

"It's cool," Faith said, laying a hand on Hailey's shoulder. "Let it be."

"Here," Hailey said, handing her brown duffel bag over to Faith, "I've got some extra clothes in there. We're about the same size. They should fit."

"Thanks, sheriff," Faith said as she moved towards the bathroom. Once the dark haired Slayer had disappeared, the rest of the group turned their attention towards Hailey.

"You two seem awful close," Buffy commented.

"Does that bother you?" Hailey shot back.

"Okay," Dawn said, stepping forward. "I think everyone's getting off on the wrong foot here. How about some introductions? I'm Dawn, Buffy's sister. And you are?" She asked, extending her hand to Hailey. Hailey sighed and took the younger girl's hand, giving it a quick shake.

"I'm Hailey Travers," Hailey replied.

"Travers?" Willow asked, instantly recognizing the name. "As in Quentin Travers?"

"He was my father," Hailey confirmed.

_Now I know I don't like her_, Buffy thought, studying her. "Why did Faith call you sheriff?" She asked suspiciously.

"I'm the sheriff of a small town in Arizona. They hired me to help with their vampire problem," Hailey replied.

"So you're a potential then?" Willow asked. When Hailey turned to look at her, Willow felt all of her muscles tense, as if they were anticipating something. She found herself suddenly becoming incredibly self-conscious.

"Yeah," Hailey replied.

"Then you're in the right place," the witch said, smiling nervously. "This seems to be potential headquarters nowadays."

"The Coven told me to come here. They said I would be needed," Hailey explained.

"The Coven?" Willow asked excitedly, forgetting her unease. "How are they?"

"Good," Hailey said. "You must be Willow right?" She asked, giving the redhead a second glance. Amelia had spoken a great deal about a girl named Willow Rosenberg from Sunnydale who possessed a great deal of power. Supposedly, she had used it to try to end the world. Hailey could hardly believe that the woman standing in front of her had an ounce of evil in her, but looks were often deceiving. _And the looks definitely aren't bad_, Hailey thought appreciatively. Willow nodded. "Amelia sends her regards," Hailey said, struggling to tear her eyes away from the witch's emerald gaze.

Kennedy watched the interaction between the two with a growing concern. Hailey was obviously attracted to her would be girlfriend, but she could not determine if Willow felt the same. Either way, she knew that she would have to keep an eye on the new girl. Buffy also watched the interaction, her eyes remaining locked on Hailey, however. She hated Quentin Travers with every fiber of her being. He had tried to destroy everything in her life when she had turned eighteen, all for the sake of tradition. Buffy did not know if his daughter believed in the same things, but she knew that if she did, Hailey was dangerous. Hailey could feel Buffy's eyes on her and she turned, catching the Slayer staring at her.

"And you must be Buffy," Hailey said, taking a step forward. Buffy misread the act as one of aggression and stepped forward as well, folding her arms across her chest. Willow felt her muscles relax once Hailey shifted her gaze to Buffy. She could feel Kennedy standing directly behind her, heat radiating off her in waves. The younger potential was obviously threatened. Willow wondered if she should be. Though she had not given in to Kennedy's demands, she felt a particular fondness for the dark haired girl. However, she the moment her eyes rested on Hailey, she felt an attraction that she did not feel to Kennedy, one that went far deeper than the physical. It was not the same as with Tara. That connection had been deeper than anything she had ever felt. But she thought that Hailey could come close if she let her in. Willow frowned, however. She had no way of knowing if Hailey was even interested in her, or if she even wanted to pursue her attraction to the girl. A confusing mix of emotions tumble through her and she moved slightly away from Kennedy and Hailey.

"If it makes any difference," Hailey said low enough for only Buffy to hear, "I'm not a threat to you. I'm here to follow you. Just tell me what to do."

Buffy relaxed a bit at her words. Sighing, she let her arms drop to her sides. "Well, we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"That include me, B?" Faith asked, reappearing in one of Hailey's white wife beaters and skintight black jeans. Buffy's face hardened, but she nodded.

"Yeah, F," she said a bit bitterly. "That includes you."


	9. Conversations with Living People

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

Buffy relaxed a bit at her words. Sighing, she let her arms drop to her sides. "Well, we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"That include me, B?" Faith asked, reappearing in one of Hailey's white wife beaters and skintight black jeans. Buffy's face hardened, but she nodded.

"Yeah, F," she said a bit bitterly. "That includes you."

Chapter Eight:

"You're kidding me, right?" Hailey asked looking over at Buffy desperately. "I haven't had to do that in years," she said, motioning to the group of potentials gathered in Buffy's backyard for training exercises. Kennedy was leading them through a series of stretches.

"You said you were here to follow, remember?" Buffy said, smirking. "Go follow."

"I don't think you quite understand my situation," Hailey replied. "I was just in an explosion, okay? An _explosion_. That," she said, pointing to one of the girls Kennedy had managed to arrange into a contortionist's position, "would probably cause severe internal bleeding. Besides, I'm too old to be the Slayer. That ship has passed. I've done my training, paid with all the blood and sweat that I'm willing to pay with," Hailey said heatedly.

"You look fine to me," Buffy pressed.

"What part of internal injuries do you not understand?" Hailey asked incredulously.

Buffy sighed and relented. "Fine, what's wrong with you anyway?" She asked. She had not been impressed with the 'I can take on the world' attitude Hailey had been sporting the moment she walked into the house, but she knew that testing the girl beyond her limits would not be wise. She had to admit that she was eager to see what gifts Hailey possessed. To have another experienced vampire killer on her side would be a great asset. _Faith_, Buffy thought. She had another Slayer to back her up and though she thought that knowledge should have been comforting, she was conflicted. On the one hand, she had tremendous memories of slaying with Faith. They fell into such an easy rhythm that it felt natural to have the dark haired girl at her side. However, there was a lot of pain and betrayal that lingered between them. Buffy was uncertain whether she wanted to give the younger girl another chance. She knew that some of Faith's actions all those years ago were partly her fault. She could have been a better friend. But Faith took everything one step too far.

"I've got a fractured skull," Hailey said, bringing Buffy out of her thoughts. "Some broken ribs, burns, gashes, bruises…I'm really just a walking bandage."

"How the hell did you get them so far?" Buffy asked, honestly impressed despite herself.

"Sheer determination," Hailey muttered. "Or utter stupidity, I'm not sure which. I need time to rest though, before I get back out into the trenches, so to speak."

Buffy nodded. She did not want Hailey simply loafing around the house while everyone else worked, even if the girl looked like death warmed over. Buffy studied her face for several moments, surprised that she had not noticed the unnaturally pale color of the other girl's skin, and the deep cut that ran down from her eye. "Do you want to see a doctor?" Buffy finally asked, finding herself increasingly worried about Hailey's health. Though she had practically hated the girl the night before, she felt a certain responsibility towards her, as she did with all of the other potentials. She knew that Hailey would be a good ally if she gave her a chance, maybe even a good friend.

"No, I'm fine. Just give me something to do," Hailey replied.

"I'm glad you said that," Buffy said with relief. "I think Willow, Dawn, and Giles need some help researching the First Evil. We know a whole lot of nothing at the moment."

"I'm on it," Hailey said, moving out of the room.

"And as for you," Buffy continued to what appeared to be an empty room, though she knew differently, "I want you to teach the girls how to fight."

"I'm not really all that good with the teaching, B," Faith said, stepping into the kitchen from the hallway, where she had been eavesdropping on Hailey's conversation with the blonde Slayer.

"You'll figure it out," Buffy said, shifting her eyes from the dark Slayer's face to the tile floor. She hated the conflicting emotions that ran through her every time she saw Faith. She wanted to beat the shit out of the other girl for all of the things that she had done to her and her friends. Yet, she also wanted to wrap Faith in a warm embrace and comfort her for all of the bad things she was sure had happened in her life – bad things that Buffy had helped to create in some instances.

Faith could plainly read Buffy's thoughts as they flitted across her face. The blonde Slayer thought that she had mastered the art of keeping things hidden, but Faith knew how to read her much better than Buffy would have liked. "We're going to have to talk about this sometime," Faith said softly. Buffy's head snapped up at her words, partly because she was not certain that Faith had actually spoken them, and partly because it was as if Faith had read her mind.

"But not today," Buffy said stolidly. "I have to go to work," she said to herself as she picked up her bag and slung it over the shoulder. She was about to throw a harsh quip at Faith when she stopped, almost feeling sorry for the girl standing before her, who looked rather apprehensive about the thought of having to instruct a bunch of restless teenage girls. "You'll do fine," Buffy assured her. "Just don't let them kill each other. They get a bit carried away," she said, chuckling to herself as she walked out of the kitchen.

"That wasn't so bad," Faith murmured. Sighing, she walked over to the backdoor and slung it open. "Okay girls," she said, stepping out onto the grass and squinting in the bright sunlight. "Let's have a little fun."

……………………….

"I thought Buffy said Dawn and Giles were researching too," Hailey said as she entered the dining room. She had expected to see a group of people gathered around the dining room table, flipping through books and ancient papers. Instead, she only saw Willow sitting in front of her laptop, squinting intently at the screen. Hailey smiled, thinking the red haired girl's enraptured attention to the machine whirring away on the table rather endearing.

"What?" Willow asked, startled. "Oh, it's you," she said smiling. "And you asked a question," she murmured to herself, trying to pull Hailey's words from her recent memory. "Oh yeah, Dawn is at school and I haven't been able to pull Giles away from that duffel bag you brought. I haven't seen him this excited about anything in, well…I don't know if I've ever seen him this excited," Willow admitted.

Hailey took a seat across from the witch and grabbed one of the books sitting in the center of the table. "You should have seen him at the Council library," Hailey said, nostalgia lingering in her voice. "I remember watching him when I was little. Every time he walked in that place, he got this look of sheer contentment on his face. It only lasted a second and I don't think anyone else really noticed, but it always made his eyes shine."

Willow smiled, picturing Giles surrounded by stacks of books. She knew the older man must have felt quite at home there. "What are you doing?" She asked, noticing Hailey skimming through a book.

"Buffy assigned me to the research party. I'm a little too banged up for field exercises. Besides, I've trained all my life, I really don't need to learn how to dodge a punch," Hailey explained. "If you mind though, I'm sure I can find something else to do," Hailey added, momentarily worried that her presence would be an interruption to the witch.

"No," Willow replied quickly, flushing as she looked down at the table. "It's fine. I can use the help really."

"That's good, because I'm here to help," Hailey offered. Silence fell between them and Hailey found herself studying the girl sitting across from her rather than the book in her lap. Every once in a while, her eyes would lock with Willow's and they would both hurriedly look away. Hailey mentally cursed herself, wondering why she was acting like a high school kid again. Focusing her eyes on the book in front of her, she sighed. Ever since Tanya died, she had used her sexuality to escape from her grief. She had never really accepted the fact that her lover was dead because she never let anyone else in. She had strings of affairs, but they were only physical connections. Distancing herself from any sort of emotional connections, she had managed to get by. However, though she found Willow to be very attractive, she knew that she could not simply use the witch and ditch her the next morning. Things were far more complicated than that now.

Though she knew that a part of her heart would always belong to Tanya, she also knew that it was time to move on. She craved the intimacy that an emotional connection afforded. Glancing up from the book, she caught Willow staring intently at her. "So," Hailey said, when Willow glanced away. "What's the deal with you and Kennedy?"

Willow glanced up at her surprised. "What do you mean? There is no deal," she replied in confusion.

"Really?" Hailey asked, intrigued. "You two seemed pretty close."

"Oh," Willow said, nodding a bit. "I think she has a bit of a crush on me."

Hailey raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Cradle robber," she joked.

Willow blushed a deep crimson that nearly matched her hair. "I never said that I had a crush on her back," she mumbled.

"So you don't then?" Hailey pressed.

"Why do you want to know?" Willow asked, suddenly turning the conversation around.

"I'm just curious," Hailey answered enigmatically.

"Curious?" Willow asked. "Maybe you have a crush on me too," she said, noticing the small smile playing on Hailey's lips.

Hailey leaned forward and studied Willow's emerald eyes for a moment. "Maybe I do," she said shrugging. "But something tells me it wouldn't matter," she said.

"Why's that?" Willow asked, frowning.

"Because you don't know if you like me yet or not. And you don't know how you feel about Kennedy either. But what's more," Hailey said, leaning back in her chair, "you don't know if you're ready for anything yet."

"How do you know all of that?" Willow asked, shocked at how well Hailey had read her.

"I'm good at reading people," Hailey replied. "Everything that a person wants to tell you but can't is written in their eyes. You just have to look."

"What do you see in my eyes?" Willow asked, closing her laptop lid.

"Pain," Hailey said softly. "But hope as well. The world seems like it's too much to bear for you right now, but you know that someday it'll get easier."

"I lost someone…recently," Willow said lowly.

"I lost someone too. Not so recently though," Hailey replied, smiling sadly. "We all lose people. There isn't a person here that can't tell you some kind of story of loss and pain and sadness. It's what you do with that pain that really matters."

"Picking up the pieces?" Willow asked.

"Picking up the pieces and putting them back together. That's the hard part," Hailey answered.

"Am I interrupting something?" Faith asked, smirking as she stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.

"What do you want, Faith?" Willow asked grumpily.

"The girls are doing their exercises. No one's really filled me in on the First. I thought I'd ask the expert," Faith said, noticing Willow's face soften at her compliment.

"Take a seat," Willow replied. Faith sat down next to Hailey and leaned back in her chair.

"How ya feelin', sheriff?" She asked with concern. Willow nearly laughed, but she realized that the concern in Faith's voice was real.

"Bloody peachy," Hailey replied sarcastically, her British accent shining through her voice. "If Buffy had her way, I think I'd be dead right now."

"Buffy means well," Willow interjected.

"But she's not always right," Faith concluded. "Besides, something tells me that you don't really need to train as much as the rest of those girls. They're fuckin' babies. I can't imagine taking them into a serious battle."

"They'll get better with time," Willow said.

"But we may not have a lot of time," Hailey said softly.

"The First's primary weapon is the Bringers," Willow said. "We haven't seen anyone else representing it. Based on Angel's experience with it some years ago, we're assuming that it's incorporeal. When it appeared to Angel, it appeared as ghosts – things that he couldn't touch, but that he could see and hear."

"So we can't really fight it then," Faith concluded.

"No," Willow replied with defeat clearly in her voice. "I think you're starting to understand our dilemma."

"How do you stop something that you can't touch," Hailey elaborated.

"What about magics?" Faith asked. "Is there some kind of spell we could use against it."

Willow sighed and glanced down at the table, her shoulders slumping. Faith and Hailey glanced at each other, both wondering at the witch's reaction. "There might be, but nothing that we could use."

"What do you mean?" Hailey asked. "I thought you were supposed to be a powerful witch."

"I am…or was," Willow replied. "I had some problems with magics."

"Problems?" Faith asked.

"I got addicted to black magic, went a little crazy, and tried to end the world, okay?" Willow said quickly.

"You tried to end the world?" Faith asked in disbelief.

"You didn't know that?" Hailey asked.

"No. How did you know?" Faith wondered.

"The Coven told me about her," Hailey replied. "I didn't know that she had given up magic entirely though."

"So let me get this straight," Faith said angrily, "you try to literally end the world and they welcome you back with open arms like nothing happened?"

"It wasn't like that, Faith," Willow began.

"No, I think it was exactly like that," she said, rising to her feet. "You know how fucking hypocritical that is? Yeah, I helped a demon. Yeah, I killed people. But I wasn't fingering the nuke button."

"Faith," Hailey said softly. Faith looked over at her. "Getting angry isn't going to change anything. We're all in this together now, despite whatever happened in the past. Besides, you should probably go check on the girls."

Faith glared over at Hailey before sighing and throwing up her hands. "Fine," she said, walking out of the room. Hailey watched her go before looking back at Willow, who was staring at her with something akin to amazement on her face.

"How did you do that?" Willow asked.

"Do what?" Hailey replied.

"How did you get Faith to calm down like that?" Willow asked. "I thought she was going to snap."

"I'm good with people," Hailey answered. "You just have to know how to talk to them. Look, Willow, I get that you have a lot of history with Faith. But she's a different person now. If you would look, you could see that. Remember how I said everyone has a story of pain and loss? I kinda think that Faith has an epic novel."

"Maybe you're right," Willow begrudgingly admitted.

"Of course I am," Hailey said, smiling confidently. "Now, what were we talking about?"


	10. Conversations with Dead People Part 1

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"I lost someone too. Not so recently though," Hailey replied, smiling sadly. "We all lose people. There isn't a person here that can't tell you some kind of story of loss and pain and sadness. It's what you do with that pain that really matters."

"Picking up the pieces?" Willow asked.

Chapter Nine:

Hailey's eyes shot open. Biting her lip, she quickly shut her eyes again, squeezing them tightly against the pain that shot through her skull. Shakily rising to her feet, she picked her way through the mess of people sleeping on the living room floor. The moon shone through the windows and the house was filled with a complete silence that was entirely overwhelming. A buzzing sound echoed in her ears and her vision blurred over for a moment. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she ran to the downstairs bathroom, barely shutting the door and kneeling in front of the toilet before the contents of her stomach came spilling out of her mouth. Coughs racked her body and she could barely breath as she leaned back against the wall, her stomach quieted for the moment.

"Fuck," she muttered, raising shaky hands to her temple. She tried to rub away the pain in her head, but the scraping feel of her fingers against the hot skin of her face did little to comfort her. The world seemed to be spinning in an endless circle that only further nauseated her. Someone suddenly knocked on the bathroom door. The sound pounded through her mind and she grimaced.

"What?" She asked hoarsely.

"Are you okay in there?" A voice asked softly. Hailey did not instantly recognize it.

"I'm fine," she muttered. The voice did not respond. Hailey breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that the person had gone away. However, the door suddenly opened and Willow slipped inside.

"You don't sound fine," Willow protested. "And yeah, I'm saying definitely, not," she said after spotting the contents of the toilet. "What's wrong?"

"Thought that was kinda obvious," Hailey grumbled. Willow smiled patiently and knelt in front of the sick potential.

"You're burning up," she said worriedly. "Are you taking anything?"

"No," Hailey replied.

"Well, we need to get your fever down," Willow said, rising to her feet and walking over to the medicine cabinet. Rummaging through it, she pulled out a bottle of aspirin. "This should help," she said. "With the fever and the pain. Though I imagine you have pain medicine right? Why aren't you taking it?"

"Long story," Hailey replied, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. Willow studied her for a moment before nodding.

"Okay. Where does Buffy have you sleeping?" She asked.

"Living room floor," Hailey replied.

"You're sleeping on the floor?" Willow asked in surprise. "With your injuries?"

"Wasn't really anywhere else," Hailey muttered. Willow sighed.

"We'll get you somewhere more comfortable to sleep tomorrow," she said. "For now, take these." She shook several pills out of the bottle and handed them to Hailey. Hailey dry swallowed them and smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Sure," Willow replied, standing hesitantly before her. "Need anything else?" She asked.

"I think I'll be okay," Hailey replied.

"Are you sure? Because I could stay here with you if you wanted, you know, to keep you company," Willow rushed.

Hailey was about to shake her head, but stopped, realizing that Willow was not offering to stay because she thought Hailey needed her, but because she wanted to stay. "I guess I could use the company," she replied after a pause. Willow smiled and sat down on the cold tile floor next to the dark haired girl.

"What was it like?" Willow asked after a stretch of silence. "The explosion, I mean."

"Loud," Hailey replied thoughtfully. "There was a lot of fire. I don't really remember much about it. Just that it was really loud."

Willow nodded. "Remember how I told you I lost someone?" She asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Hailey replied.

"Her name was Tara," the red haired witch said shakily. She smiled sadly and said, "She was so beautiful."

"How did she die?" Hailey asked, looking over at Willow with soft eyes.

"She was shot," Willow replied, sniffling as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Her eyes were shining wet and her bottom lip was quivering slightly.

"It's okay," Hailey said, reaching over and gripping her hand tightly. "You don't have to say anything else if you don't want."

"No," Willow said breathlessly, shaking her head. "I want to," she said. "I want to talk about her. It's just hard."

"What was she like?" Hailey asked interestedly.

Willow smiled slightly, recalling some fond memory. "Very understanding – very wise. She was so powerful, but she never realized it. Patient, too. It was like she would look at you and she could see everything in your soul. She knew exactly what to say to make everything better for me."

"Sounds like she was a good person," Hailey said.

"She was," Willow replied, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. "It's so hard without her."

"She's not really gone, Willow," Hailey said. "She'll always be with you. Always be watching over you."

"You think so?" Willow asked hopefully, looking over at the other girl.

"I know so," Hailey replied confidently. Silence fell between them again. Hailey leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, letting her mind slowly drift off to sleep. Just before sleep took her, she felt a soft pressure on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see Willow resting against her, fast asleep, her red hair spilling in front of her face. Smiling, Hailey closed her eyes again and the darkness take her.

…………………………

"That was a cozy little scene with you and Willow this morning," Kennedy said conversationally over her cereal bowl to Hailey. They were the only two people in the kitchen at the moment, the rest of the potentials already out on the back lawn, being instructed by Faith. Buffy had left for work, Willow was in the dining room, Dawn was at school, and Giles was in the living room, pouring over the Watcher's diaries. Anya was milling about the house aimlessly, Xander had left for work, and Spike was asleep in the basement.

"What's your point?" Hailey asked tiredly. She had not gotten much sleep the night before.

"No point," Kennedy replied vaguely.

"You want to know if I'm moving in on your territory," Hailey stated. Kennedy dropped her spoon and looked up at the older girl.

"Are you?" She asked defensively.

"I don't think she's your territory yet," Hailey smirked.

"I'm the one sleeping in her bed, not you," Kennedy noted.

"And yet, she's not sleeping in it with you," Hailey replied, smiling as Kennedy glared at her. "She can make up her own mind."

"Whatever," Kennedy responded, pushing back in her chair and stalking over to the kitchen door. Pulling it open, she joined the others. Hailey sighed and left the kitchen, out into the hallway.

"Trouble with the whelp?" Spike asked, lingering in the shadows of the basement door.

Hailey started, but instantly relaxed. "Something like that," she said. She did not know whether to trust the vampire. She knew that there was something different about him; she could sense it. Buffy trusted him to train the potentials and to live in her basement, but he was still dangerous. Hailey could see that in his eyes. There was some history between the Slayer and he that neither seemed willing to discuss.

"Something on your mind?" Spike asked.

"What's your deal? Why does she trust you?" Hailey asked.

"She doesn't," Spike replied, smirking. "But I've got a soul so I guess that means I'm alright."

Hailey nodded. Spike pulled out a pack of cigarettes, taking one for himself before handing one to Hailey. Hailey took it and allowed Spike to light it for her. "You got cursed?" Hailey asked, taking a long drag from the cigarette, blowing the smoke back out through her nose.

"No," Spike replied, doing the same. "I got it on my own."

"What did you go and do that for?" Hailey asked in surprise.

Spike chuckled a little. "Guess I just wanted to be a part of the gang," he said bitterly.

"Not working out for you?" Hailey asked.

"How's it going with the witch?" Spike asked, changing the topic.

Hailey smiled a little. "I don't know you that well, Spike," she said, leaning over and rubbing the cigarette out on the top of one of her boots. Flicking it down into the basement, she left Spike lingering in the shadows.

"I think she was mocking you," Buffy said from behind him on the basement stairs. Spike looked back at her, squinting his eyes for a moment as he tried to work something out in his head. Something did not seem right to him. "She needs to learn to respect you."

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else?"

"I'm right where I belong," Buffy replied, walking up the stairs towards him. "Early one morning, just as the sun was shining, I heard a maiden singing in the valley below," Buffy whispered in a singsong voice. Spike looked back at her, something in his eyes shifting. "Hungry, Spike?" She asked. "How about you do something about that tonight?"

……………………………

Faith grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets and filled it with water. Lifting the glass to her lips, she turned, freezing. The glass slid from her hand and shattered on the kitchen floor. Closing her eyes, she blinked them rapidly, allowing them to slide open again. "You died," she said, moving away from the figure standing by the back door.

"Now, Faith, is that any way to greet your Watcher?" Kate asked, stepping forward.

"Stay away from me," Faith warned. "I'm going crazy," she muttered to herself. "That's it. I'm officially nuts. Lock me up."

"You're not crazy, Faith. I'm right here," Kate said, smiling kindly. "It's been a long time."

"Stop that," Faith said angrily. "Stop talking. You shouldn't be talking. In fact, you shouldn't be there at all."

"Little Faith. You've come a long way since Boston, haven't you? I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you when you really needed it. You strayed from the path, but it looks like you've come around again," Kate said, her British accent thick in her words. Faith found it as soothing at that moment as she had back when she and Kate were slaying vampires in Boston. She found herself being lulled into a false comfort that seemed wrong in some way. Faith opened her mouth to call out to Willow, who was sitting in the other room, but Kate motioned for her to stop. "Don't do that."

"Why not?" Faith asked.

"She doesn't need to know that I'm here," Kate replied. "Do you really think that she can trust you again?"

"Willow?" Faith asked in confusion.

"No," Kate said, shaking her head. "Buffy. Do you ever think that she could really love you?"

"How did you…?" Faith asked, trailing off. "What are you?" She demanded, sensing that there was something wrong about the woman standing in front of her.

"She'll never love you, Faith. She'll just use you and toss you away, like everyone else. But you know that can stop," Kate said lowly.

"How?" Faith asked, despite herself.

Kate smiled and stepped closer, whispering conspiratorially, "Just kill her, Faith, and everything will be over. All of the pain will stop. Everything will go away. Just like that," Kate said, snapping her fingers.

"Willow!" Faith yelled, watching in amazement as the apparition blinked out of existence as Willow entered the room.

"What?" Willow asked, looking around the room confusedly. "What's going on? Were you talking to someone?" She asked, noticing how pale Faith looked.

"Yeah," Faith replied, running a hand over her face. "My dead Watcher."

"But that's not possible, Faith. Unless…" Willow said as a light bulb went off in her mind. "The First."

"That was the First Evil?" Faith asked.

"It must have been. It appeared to Angel the same way, as someone from his past," Willow replied. "Goddess, I guess it's really begun, hasn't it?"

"It's been happening for a long time already, Red," Faith replied sardonically.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, eyeing the other girl suspiciously.

"Five by five," Faith replied. But the words that the First Evil had spoken were running through her mind in a constant loop. _Kill her._


	11. Conversations with Dead People Part 2

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming. Sorry this update took a little longer than usual to post, but there was a lot that I wanted to write.

Previously 

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, eyeing the other girl suspiciously.

"Five by five," Faith replied. But the words that the First Evil had spoken were running through her mind in a constant loop. _Kill her._

Chapter Ten:

Dawn sighed as the bathroom door slipped closed behind her. The fluorescent lights above her stung her eyes and she walked over to the sink, dropping her hall pass on it as she gazed at herself in the bank of mirrors in front of her. "Don't see why I have to go to school anyway," she muttered to herself, turning on the water. A splash of cold water shot out of the faucet. "None of the potentials have to go to school." Leaning over, she splashed her face, closing her eyes for a moment. The sudden impact of the cold water against her skin was a relief. Summer had changed to fall, but the warmth still remained. Ceiling fans and opened windows did little to relieve the oppressive heat that clung to the school.

She was supposed to be in math class, but she could not concentrate on anything knowing what she did about what was happening in Sunnydale. Her mind wandered back to the First Evil, to the battles that would come, and to all of the people that she knew who might fall victim to darkness. Buffy had already died twice; the third time was probably not the charm. She knew that everyone would not survive, but it pained her to think of those who would not. Equations and formulas bore little relevance for her now. She did not understand why Buffy insisted that she remain in school. She already knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. The Watcher's Council was gone, but people would be needed to rebuild it – to start over. She wanted to be one of those people.

Reaching for a paper towel, she blotted her face dry. Buffy underestimated her. Her sister was many things, but she was not the most observant person that Dawn had ever met. Dawn had clocked countless hours in research, helping the Scooby Gang with whatever big bad had come along, yet Buffy still treated her as if she were a child. Dawn scoffed. "I'm not a child," she said to the empty bathroom. "I've got thousands of years of energy boiling around inside of me." She often wondered about her mystical roots; wondered if she could access the power that was inside of her. Her musings were interrupted when the lights suddenly flickered, the bathroom falling completely dark for several long moments.

Dawn frowned. Something seemed wrong all of the sudden. Turning, she peered out into the darkness. "Hello?" She asked. A bright light exploded in front of her eyes. It transformed from a deep blue to a light green. Vaguely, Dawn could see a figure inside of the light. The green faded into white and a person stepped out. Dawn instantly recognized the woman standing in front of her. Gasping, she clamped a hand over her mouth, unable to believe her eyes. Finally, she spoke, "Mom?" She asked, her voice small and trembling.

Joyce smiled. She wore a flowing white dress, the light around her highlighting her golden hair. "Dawnie," she said lovingly. "Oh, how I've missed you."

"It can't be you," Dawn said, disbelievingly. "You…you're gone."

"I know things have been hard on you, but I need you to be strong right now and listen," Joyce said.

"You're not really here, are you?" Dawn asked. "You're not real?"

"I came here to give you a message, Dawnie," Joyce replied, smiling comfortingly. "Things are coming; things are already on their way. I love you and I love Buffy, but she won't be there for you."

"What?" Dawn asked in confusion. Tears were streaming down her face and she wanted nothing more than to run to her mother and bury herself in the older woman's arms, but Joyce remained at a distance. Her mother's words cut through her emotions like a knife and her mind instantly sharpened. "What did you say? Why would you say that?" Dawn demanded. Suddenly, the vision before her started to fade. Dawn stepped forward, reaching her arm out. "No! Don't go," she pleaded. "Don't leave me again."

"When it's bad," Joyce whispered, fading into darkness, "Buffy won't choose you." The vision disappeared and the lights flickered on, suddenly restored to life. Dawn stood in the middle of the bathroom, her arm still extended to where the vision of her mother had stood, with tears running down her cheeks. Joyce's words echoed through her mind.

"Buffy won't choose me," Dawn whispered. Dread filled her heart and, for a moment, she feared that her sister would abandon her. "I need to find her," she muttered, rushing from the bathroom.

…………………………

Buffy took a sip from her coffee, lazily searching the Internet for anything relating to the First Evil. Thus far, her searches had come up empty. She knew that she was not as good at research as the others, but she had been looking for several hours and had found nothing. "This sucks," she muttered to herself, sitting the coffee cup back down on her desk.

Someone knocked on her door and without looking up, she said, "Come in." The door slid open. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a male figure lower himself into one of the chairs in front of her desk. Buffy sighed. She was not cut out for counseling. She wanted to help people, but most days, the last thing she wanted to do was listen to a bunch of teenagers bitch out about their petty problems.

"What's up?" Buffy asked, turning her monitor off and looking over at the boy, who was patiently waiting. Buffy stared at the boy in shock, instantly recognizing him.

"You see, I have this problem," the boy began, but Buffy cut him off.

"Jesse?" She asked, not quite believing her eyes. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," Jesse said, flashing her his patented goofy grin. "Didn't think you'd see me again, did you? Well, here I am…in the flesh, so to speak. But like I was saying, I have this problem."

Buffy swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Shaking her head a little, she pried one of her eyes open a little, swiftly shutting it again when she saw Jesse still sitting in the plastic chair. "Problem?" Buffy asked, but her voice came out a squeak.

"Yeah, a problem. You see, I had this wonderful life – well, okay, maybe not so wonderful. But I was alive anyway, and let me tell you something, being alive is a hell out of a lot better than being dead," Jesse said chuckling to himself, oblivious to Buffy's distress. "I had friends. I was in school. I had my whole future laid out before me. But I got eaten by a vampire because someone couldn't save me. Someone didn't get there in time – someone wasn't strong enough. Now, I'm not naming any names here, but I think we both know who I'm talking about, Jesse said accusingly.

"Me?" Buffy asked meekly. She had opened her eyes again and was staring at the boy in a mixture of wonder and shock. "You're a ghost right? We had some ghost problems here earlier. Need to find your way to the light and all of that?" Buffy asked jokingly.

"You think you're so great at what you do. Buffy, the big, bad vampire Slayer. Well guess what, Buffy; you're not really all that great at your job. Let's face it, you haven't saved nearly as many people as you've let die. Me, Jenny Calendar, Theresa, Tara, your mother…the list just goes on and on. Everything you touch dies," Jesse said sneering. "Maybe you should just quit."

"Quit?" Buffy asked, her eyes narrowing angrily. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't that what you've wanted? A normal life? You can have it, a nine to five, two story house with a white picket fence, a dog and a cat, and two screaming brats if that's what you want. It's there for you. Just walk away. Those girls don't need you. They have Faith," Jesse said, smiling.

His words hit home more than Buffy cared to admit. "Like I would leave them with Faith," she spat, though she knew the words were a lie even as she spoke them.

"You would," Jesses said, snapping his fingers. "Just like that. You would leave all of them. And you should. You deserve a break. All of the battles you fought, Buffy, I think you've earned a vacation. Let everyone else deal with the shit now. It's their turn."

"Buffy!" Dawn said, suddenly running into the office. Jesse instantly disappeared. Buffy looked up at her sister, startled. She could see the tear tracks running down Dawn's cheeks and she leapt to her feet, rushing over to her sister's side.

"Dawn? What happened?" She asked, as Dawn launched herself into Buffy's arms.

"I saw mom," she whispered, hanging tightly onto the Slayer.

"What?" Buffy asked, struggling to disentangle herself from the younger girl.

"I saw mom in the bathroom," Dawn repeated.

Buffy's eyes narrowed as several pieces in a rather large and complicated puzzle suddenly fell together. "Get your stuff, we're going home."

"Now?" Dawn asked, wiping her eyes.

Buffy nodded, her face a mask of severity, "Now."

……………………………………..

The sun was starting to set as Willow sat at one of the library tables in the back of the U.C. Sunnydale library. She could see the orange light filtering in through the windows. Books littered the table. She was furiously scribbling notes on a pad of paper. She had been researching the First for the better part of the day. Though she usually set up shop on the dining room table, she needed to get out of the house. Her feelings for Hailey and Kennedy were jumbled about in her head and she could not figure out what to do. She did not know if she was ready to let go of Tara and take that final plunge into a relationship with another woman. But she found herself increasingly attracted to both potentials.

Kennedy had come upon Willow suddenly, like a storm, while Hailey had slipped in under Willow's radars, quietly and secretly. Sighing, she banged her head in frustration on the table. Her research had gotten her nowhere and her mind was plagued with too many thoughts. "Bad day?" Someone asked. Willow looked up, only to see Cassie, a young girl Buffy had tried to save. Buffy had saved her from being sacrificed by some of her classmates, but the girl had died shortly after from a fatal heart condition.

"I know you," Willow said. "I saw your picture in the paper."

"Yeah, I know. It's kinda weird because we never really met," Cassie said, walking around the table.

"Or because you're really dead," Willow deadpanned. Cassie smiled and joined Willow at the table. "Did I fall asleep?" Willow asked, looking around. "Am I dreaming?"

"No," Cassie said, laughing a little. "I'm here. Well, not here here, because…you know. It's complicated. Kind of ironic too," she added, "I wrote all this intense poetry about the end and when it finally comes, here I am, chatting you up."

"Yeah, ironic," Willow said, discreetly searching out an exit path. Cassie saw her eyes shifting around the room and she sighed.

"I knew this would totally freak you out. But she asked that I come talk to you," she said earnestly.

"She?" Willow asked, curious despite herself.

"She says she still sings," Cassie said, smiling sadly when a light went off in Willow's eyes.

"What?" Willow demanded.

"Remember that time on the bridge when you sang to each other? She still sings to you, even though you can't hear it," Cassie said.

Tears stung at Willow's eyes as she said, "Tara?" Her voice broke and Cassie nodded reassuringly.

"She's sorry that she couldn't come here herself," Cassie replied.

"Why couldn't she?" Willow demanded to know.

"Because of what you did," Cassie answered. Willow looked down at the table, trying vainly to keep her emotions in check.

"What I did?" She finally asked, looking back up at Cassie with heart broken eyes.

"You killed people. So you can't see her. That's just how it is. I'm sorry," Cassie replied matter-of-factly.

"But she's talking to you? And she can hear me? Tara? Baby, if you're there, I miss you so much. It hurts. It's like a big hole. I can't take it anymore," Willow cried.

"She misses you too," Cassie said, and then sat silently.

"Did she go away?" Willow asked desperately.

"No," Cassie replied. "She's crying."

"Don't cry, baby," Willow said gently. "Please don't."

"She wishes she could touch you," Cassie replied.

"It's all too much," Willow whispered.

"It will get better. It can," Cassie said, leaning forward.

"How? Tara's gone," Willow said.

"But you're not. You've gotta be strong, strong like an Amazon, remember?" Cassie said smiling sweetly.

Willow laughed and nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. "I remember," she said. She frowned, her thoughts running in several different directions at once. There was so much that she wanted to say to her lover, but she could not find the words. Finally, she decided to explain herself. "Do you know what happened? After Warren shot you, I mean?" Willow asked. Cassie nodded. "It was horrible. I lost myself."

"You were grieving," Cassie rationalized.

"Lots of people grieve, they don't kill other people," Willow corrected her.

"It was the power," Cassie said with a certain definitiveness.

"I am the power," Willow muttered. "It's in me."

"But it's so much bigger than you," Cassie replied. "Things are much clearer where I am, where Tara is. That's why I came here. You have to stop."

"Stop?" Willow asked in confusion.

"You have to stop using magics," Cassie insisted. "You can't use them again ever. We've seen your path."

"Black magics, I know," Willow answered.

"No, all magics," Cassie replied heatedly. "You can't take the chance that you'll lose control."

"I don't want to hurt people," Willow said fearfully. "I'll be okay."

"But you're not going to be okay. You're going to kill everybody," Cassie said glumly. "But there's one thing you can do that will stop it," she said, a strange light shining in her eyes.

Willow gazed at her with a mixture of desperation, fear, and sadness. "What?" She asked resignedly. She knew that she was dangerous, but she never imagined that she would lose control again. But Cassie said that she and Tara had seen her path. Tara would not lie to her.

"You could see her again. You wouldn't have to talk to her through me anymore. Go, Willow. Go to her and everyone will be safe," Cassie insisted.

Something clicked in Willow's mind and she slowly stood, backing away from the girl. She recalled her conversation with Faith that morning. Faith had seen her dead Watcher in the kitchen - a woman who Faith had loved much like a mother. Though Faith had not disclosed what the woman told her, Willow knew that it had been distressing to the Slayer. "You're not really her," Willow accused. "You're the First."

Cassie laughed, leaning back in her chair. "What gave me away? Was it the suicide thing? I thought that might be going too far."

"Leave," Willow demanded angrily.

"Oh, baby, it hurts so bad. You left such a big hole," Cassie mocked. "You don't know hurt. This last year's going to seem like cake after what I put you and your friends through. Believe me, I'm going for the big finish."

"From beneath you it devours," Willow muttered, her eyes wide.

"Not it," Cassie said, grinning widely. "Me."

……………………………….

Hailey awoke with a start, breathing heavily, with sweat dotting her forehead. "Ow," she muttered, as a wave of pain crashed through her mind. Though her wounds were still causing her a great deal of discomfort, she knew that she was healing. The headaches were occurring less frequently and her scars were starting to fade. The rest of the potentials were training in the basement with Giles. Hailey decided to sneak an afternoon nap to rest up for that evening. Willow had offered her bed for whenever Hailey needed it. She had taken her up on the offer, mostly because she needed the rest, but also because she could not resist the opportunity to sleep where the red haired witch had, before Kennedy arrived anyway.

"You okay, baby?" A voice asked from across the room.

"I'm fine," Hailey replied. "Just a headache." She lifted her hands to rub her temples when she suddenly realized that she was having a conversation with her dead lover. Lifting her eyes, she chuckled a little when she saw Tanya sitting in a chair in front of the bed. "This is interesting," Hailey muttered.

"You look so sick," Tanya said worriedly, rising to her feet. She walked to the edge of the bed and perched just out of reach. "Aren't you taking anything?"

"Aspirin," Hailey instantly replied, then checked herself. "Why am I talking to you?" She asked herself. "You're a figment of my imagination. My consciousness has created you, probably, because a small part of me feels guilty for having feelings for Willow. That's all it is."

"You know that's not true," Tanya said, smiling patiently. "You never were able to figure things out, not really."

"If you're really here," Hailey said, "then you obviously want something. What is it?"

"You," Tanya whispered. Chills ran up and down Hailey's spine and she closed her eyes for a moment to hide her sudden arousal. "It's okay, baby. I know you want me too. And you can have me. But you have to take care of yourself."

"How's that?" Hailey asked, opening her eyes again. She felt the bed shift and Tanya stood, walking over to the nightstand. Hailey's bag sat next to it, half open. Tanya reached in and pulled out a little bottle of pills.

"You have to take these. You're getting worse," Tanya said, tossing the pills onto the bed. They landed next to Hailey and she looked down at them in suspicion.

"You know I can't take those," Hailey replied.

"Yes, you can. You're stronger than they are. You won't succumb again. But if you don't take them, you're going to fade away. What help can you be to the others if you can't fight?" Tanya wondered. Hailey hesitated. Tanya sighed. "I love you, Hails. I only want what's best for you."

Hailey looked up at her for several long moments before she reached down and picked up the bottle of pills. Opening it, she poured several out into her palm. "Okay, but I'm only doing this for you," she said.

"Doing what?" Faith asked, standing in the doorway. She had heard Hailey talking to someone, but when she opened the door, there was no one in the room except the wounded potential. Faith's eyes landed on the pills in Hailey's hand and she rushed forward. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Faith asked, knocking them away.

Hailey blinked several times, looking around the room as if she were seeing it for the first time. "Where did she go?" Hailey asked.

"Who?" Faith asked, glancing around. "There's no one here."

"She was right there," Hailey said, standing. She was still gripping the bottle of pills in her hand as she gestured toward the empty space where Tanya had been standing.

"I think I know what's going on," Faith said softly.

"Care to clue me in because I'm a little lost here," Hailey replied.

"The First Evil," Faith answered. "It appeared to me this morning. Willow thinks it's a new strategy. Psychological warfare, or some shit like that."

"Oh," Hailey said disappointedly. "So she wasn't really here then."

"No," Faith replied as reassuringly as she could. "What're you going to do with those?" Faith asked, motioning to the bottle.

Hailey looked down at it, knowing in her heart what she had to do. As long as she had them, they were a danger to her, especially if the First was going to try to use her past addictions against her. Marching out of the room, she flipped on the bathroom lights and lifted the toilet lid. She poured the pills out of the bottle, watching with satisfaction until there were none left. Tossing the bottle in the trashcan, she rest her fingers on the toilet flusher. Faith saw her hesitation and stepped forward. "Want some help?" She offered.

"No," Hailey said determinedly. "I have to do this myself." Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. Then she opened her eyes and pressed down, watching as the pills disappeared.

"I'm proud of you, sheriff," Faith said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"Neither did I," Hailey admitted. The front door suddenly banged open and they heard Buffy enter, shouting for a group meeting. "The general's back," Hailey said grimly.

"She's not that bad," Faith said. "Well, I mean, she is, but someone's got to be the leader and it ain't gonna be me." Faith walked out of the bathroom, sauntering down the hallway to join Buffy downstairs. Hailey sighed and flipped off the bathroom lights. She felt lighter now that the pills were gone. Her heart was not so heavy.

"Maybe everything will be okay," Hailey muttered to herself, though she knew her words were lies.

…………………………..

Spike sauntered down Main Street with a pretty, young blonde girl hanging off his arm. He knew that she wanted him, just like he knew that she was more than a little drunk. Glancing around, he quickly pulled her into a dark, secluded alley. The girl laughed and plastered herself on him. "Right here, baby?" She asked. Spike smiled cockily as his face shifted into its demon form. The girl tried to scream and run away, but he clamped his hand over her mouth and held her close. She struggled against him, but her whimpered cries only fueled his desire.

"Yeah, baby," he replied. "Right here." Growling, he sunk his fangs into her throat. The demon took control once her blood began pouring into his mouth. He drank until he had bled her dry. Then he let her body slip to the ground. Laughing heartily, he looked up into the sky. "God it feels good to be back," he roared.


	12. Connections

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"Oh, baby, it hurts so bad. You left such a big hole," Cassie mocked. "You don't know hurt. This last year's going to seem like cake after what I put you and your friends through. Believe me, I'm going for the big finish."

"From beneath you it devours," Willow muttered, her eyes wide.

"Not it," Cassie said, grinning widely. "Me."

Chapter Eleven:

Faith slammed her fist into the punching bag, grunting in pain as her knuckles split under the white wrapping on her left hand. The bag flew across the room, settling to a stop after hitting the far wall with a force that shook the floor. Faith looked down at her hand, watching as blood began to seep through the wrapping, staining the pristine white a dark, dirty red. "What'd the punching bag ever do to you?" Buffy smirked from where she stood on the basement stairs.

She had been watching Faith wail on the bag for ten minutes. Usually her sister Slayer noticed her presence right away, but the dark haired girl was lost in thought. Buffy was glad that Faith did not notice her; it gave her time to think about what to say to the other girl. She knew that Faith was in the basement, just like she knew that Faith was angry, though she did not know why. The connection between them was so strong that Buffy could practically feel the rage pouring off Faith. Though she knew better than to get in Faith's way when she was in that sort of mood, she needed to make sure that Faith was not going to fly off the handle. However, she had to admit to herself that she was worried about the other girl.

Willow had told her that the First appeared to Faith earlier that morning. Though the former rogue Slayer had not opened up to her, Willow was certain that whatever the First had said had deeply troubled the girl. Buffy knew that if Faith's experience was anything like hers, than she would be seriously freaked in the least. "Nothing," Faith replied sharply. "Just got in the way."

"That's how it is? Something gets in your way and you beat the shit out of it? That's the way it was with us anyway, right Faith?" Buffy said, taking another step down the stairs. Faith looked over at her.

"If I recall correctly, you didn't have a problem pummeling me either," Faith muttered, turning her back to the blonde Slayer.

"Well, you were evil and all that," Buffy noted, taking another step down.

"I don't bite, you know," Faith said, turning back around. "You can come down if you want."

"Not sure I want to," Buffy replied honestly. "You're hand is bleeding."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Faith retorted.

"Fine," Buffy said steely. "You don't want to talk, that's fine." She turned and began to walk back upstairs when Faith sighed loudly.

"Wait," she said, her voice almost pleading. "What did you want to talk about?"

"This," Buffy said, finishing her journey down the stairs as she motioned back and forth between them with her hand. "There's a lot between us."

"I know, I was there," Faith replied. She saw Buffy's walls harden at her flippant comment and mentally slapped herself. "Look, I'm sorry, that came out wrong."

Buffy softened a little and nodded. "You want to sit?"

"Sure," Faith replied. She was starting to become rather nervous. She knew that she and Buffy had a lot of things to talk about before they could get back to the way they had been before she lost control, but she dreading opening up to the other girl.

Faith slowly moved over to where Buffy had taken a seat on some stacked up exercise mats. She felt her shoulder stiffening and slowly rotated it, stretching it high over her head. She smiled slightly when she heard a satisfying pop. Lowering her arm, she looked down at Buffy, only to find her staring back at her with a horrified look on her face. "What?" Faith asked in confusion.

"It's still there," Buffy said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What're you talking about, B?" Faith asked. Buffy slowly stood and closed the distance between them. Reaching her hand out, she carefully lifted the bottom of Faith's shirt. Faith sucked in a breath, hoping to hide the charge that went through her body when Buffy's fingers touched her skin.

"The scar," Buffy whispered, looking up into Faith's deep, brown eyes. "It's still there."

"Some scars don't fade," Faith whispered back. She was painfully aware of her close proximity to Buffy and though she knew that she should back away, she could not help but watch the other girl with fascination as she ran her fingers over the length of the scar on her stomach. Faith closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart. All she had to do was move an inch closer and she could capture Buffy's lips with her own. "You wanted to talk?" Faith asked, forcibly taking a step back. For a moment, she thought she saw disappointment flit across Buffy's face.

"Yeah," Buffy mumbled distractedly. Sitting back down on the mats, she looked up at Faith curiously. "I guess you heard that we all got visits from the First today."

"Busy day," Faith replied, taking a seat some distance away from the other Slayer. Her skin was humming and she knew that Buffy must have been able to feel her anxiety and arousal. Her blood was pumping through her veins and she felt flushed. If Buffy did not notice, she was the densest person on the planet, but she did not let on either way.

"What did it say to you?" Buffy asked, skipping straight to the point. Faith opened her mouth to respond, but closed it, looking away.

"If I tell you, you're gonna freak out," Faith said at last.

"Try me," Buffy replied reassuringly.

"It told me to kill you," Faith responded, looking at the other girl intensely. Buffy faltered for a moment, but recovered.

"Really? That's nice," she said, practically leaping to her feet, while ringing her hands.

"Relax," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not going to kill you. I know it was trying to mess with me."

"Of course," Buffy replied. "Didn't doubt you for a second."

"Yes, you did," Faith said angrily. "And that's gotta stop. If we're going to work together, we have to be able to trust each other."

"I can't trust you, Faith. Not after what you did," Buffy replied sternly.

"You know, you weren't exactly innocent," Faith spat back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Buffy demanded.

"You stabbed me in the stomach," Faith noted. "You put me in a fucking coma. You stole eight months of my life."

"You were evil," Buffy shouted angrily. "You had to be stopped."

"And what? Stabbing me was the only way?" Faith shouted back.

"Talking wasn't really working all that well," Buffy growled. "You poisoned Angel."

"That's what it comes down to doesn't it?" Faith spat angrily. "Lover boy."

"Don't go there," Buffy warned.

"Why not? Let's take off all the gloves here, B. Get it all out," Faith said, unconsciously pacing in a circle around Buffy. "You just couldn't let him go, could you? Nothing else mattered. He didn't even want you anymore. He left. But you just clung to the memory of some great love that probably never existed."

"I couldn't let him die," Buffy defended herself.

"So you thought you'd sacrifice me," Faith muttered.

"You didn't really leave me much of a choice," Buffy said.

"I didn't know!" Faith yelled. Her voice echoed through the basement and she stopped walking. Looking down at the ground, she desperately tried to rein in her emotions.

"You didn't know?" Buffy asked slowly.

"The Mayor just gave me that shit and told me what to do," Faith said. "I didn't know what it did or how to cure it."

Buffy laughed mirthlessly and shook her head. "That's just great. Is that supposed to change anything?"

"I don't think I can change anything, B. Apparently there's no reason for you to give a shit about me, not then, and not now," Faith said sadly.

"That's not true," Buffy said before she could stop herself. Her words fell into silence as the two Slayers watched each other.

"What're we gonna do, B? We can't keep doing this to each other," Faith said softly.

"We both fucked up," Buffy conceded at last. "I should have paid more attention after Alan," she said, noticing Faith flinch when she mentioned the Deputy Mayor's name. "I know that you were hurting after that, but I was too involved in everything else going on in my life to care. I had school, my friends, slaying, my mom, Angel," Buffy said.

"And I had none of that," Faith whispered. "Didn't that ever occur to you? I didn't have anything."

"You had us," Buffy insisted.

"No, I didn't," Faith contradicted her. "You just thought of me as a convenient excuse to go to the Bronze because Faith could always go on patrol. It's not like I had anything else going on, right? I wasn't in school, I didn't have any friends, any mythic lovers, any family. I was all alone."

"You were never alone, Faith," Buffy said, stepping closer. "You always had me. I could always feel you, somewhere in the background, burning away like some flame that would never go out. Even after everything went down between us, I could still feel you."

"We had a moment, B," Faith said. "But that was it."

"You can't tell me that you don't feel me right now," Buffy said. "I know you can."

"What does it matter?" Faith asked. "I've always been able to feel you. Even in Boston, I could always feel someone else out there. But it's different for me," Faith said.

"Why?" Buffy asked, stepping closer again. Faith looked down at the ground. She had said too much.

"It's nothing," she said, looking up again, her eyes dark and hard. Buffy sighed, knowing that she had lost her chance. Having the dark Slayer around the past couple of days had been more normal for her than anything in the past couple of years. She felt like Sunnydale was really home when Faith was there. Memories had been flooding her consciousness, assaulting her at the oddest moments – memories of slaying with Faith, dancing with Faith, and a smoldering kiss that the dark haired girl had planted on her forehead. Her skin tingled just thinking about the feel of Faith's lips. Something was changing in her. She had felt like an iceberg drifting through the ocean with nothing but the cold sea to comfort her. But then Faith had come back and she felt herself starting to melt inside. She still hated the younger girl for what she had done, but she was starting to realize that the Faith she had known no longer existed. She had turned into the somber, beautiful woman standing in front of her.

"Want to patrol tonight?" Buffy asked after a long silence. Faith looked at her in shock.

"Seriously?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Buffy replied. "I wouldn't mind getting a little synchronized slayage in," she said, smiling when Faith laughed at their mutual memory.

"I should bandage my hand first," Faith said, looking down at the dried blood on her wrapping.

"I'll do it," Buffy volunteered, instantly wondering how her brain had become disconnected from her mouth all of the sudden.

"Okay," Faith said warily.

"Just follow me to the bathroom," Buffy said, nearly flying up the stairs. Faith followed her. Once they were both in the bathroom, Buffy closed the door and instructed Faith to sit on the edge of the tub. Faith complied, wondering at Buffy's behavior. She had thought that the blonde girl wanted nothing to do with her, yet, some of Buffy's comments suggested otherwise. There was a heat growing between them that Faith could not deny, but that she did not want to acknowledge for fear that it would be a false hope.

Buffy knelt down in front of Faith. _What the hell am I doing?_ She wondered to herself as she slowly unwrapped the white cloth from Faith's hands. She grimaced at the sight of the other girl's knuckles busted and bleeding. Pouring some rubbing alcohol on a gauze pad, she looked up at Faith apologetically as she said, "This might hurt."

Faith repressed a groan of pain as Buffy cleansed her wounds. "Don't feel a thing," she lied. Buffy smiled and slapped a bandage on her hand.

"I'll bet," she said. She looked up at Faith, preparing to stand and move away, but found herself captivated by the other girl's eyes. Faith sat frozen, petrified that if she so much as breathed, Buffy would take her hand away and their connection would be lost. Faith's eyes widened as she noticed Buffy unconsciously lean forward and lick her lips. Bolting from her seat on the tub, she moved passed the other girl and swung the door open.

"We've got vampires to kill and all that," Faith said, glancing nervously back at the older girl. "I'll just be outside waiting. Need some air and what not. Take your time. Vampires aren't going anywhere. But don't be too long. Yeah. Outside," Faith said, walking away. Shaking her head, she resisted the urge to slap herself. "I'm rambling like Red. This is not good."

Buffy sighed and hit her head against the tub. "I was going to kiss her. I seriously was. What the hell is wrong with me? I was gonna do it," she muttered to herself. Looking up, she narrowed her eyes wondering, "But would that have really been a bad thing?"


	13. The Kiss

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. You guys keep me going!

Previously:

Buffy sighed and hit her head against the tub. "I was going to kiss her. I seriously was. What the hell is wrong with me? I was gonna do it," she muttered to herself. Looking up, she narrowed her eyes wondering, "But would that have really been a bad thing?"

Chapter Twelve:

"Alone at last," Hailey murmured as she walked down Main Street. A light breeze was blowing through the trees and a chill was in the air that signaled the swiftly approaching winter season. She almost regretted leaving her jacket behind at the house. She knew that it was foolish to sneak out while Bringers actively patrolled Sunnydale, eagerly searching for any stray Potential that happened to be wandering the night, but she had to get out of the house. After several hours of researching that afternoon, her eyes felt as if they were about to melt and dribble out of her skull. She needed a caffeine boost.

Though researching had its drawbacks, it did enable her to spend quality time with Willow, who seemed to be quickly warming up to her. After Willow discovered that Hailey had been sleeping on the living room floor, despite her injuries, she officially kicked Kennedy out of her bed, allowing Hailey that place instead so that she could recuperate in comfort. Kennedy had been less than pleased and, nearly every time she and Hailey passed each other in the hallways, a violent glint entered into her eyes. Willow seemed rather oblivious to the tension she had created.

But the other girls felt it and Hailey knew that they were staring to take sides. The girls that had arrived with Kennedy had been throwing her contemptuous glances when they thought that she was not looking, while the girls that had arrived with her did the same to Kennedy. She knew that she should put a stop to it all before the girls became too divided, but her competitive nature reveled in the idea that she was beating Kennedy for Willow's affections.

Hailey sighed and glanced around, ensuring that she was not being followed by anything otherworldly. Though she did not have Slayer senses, she was very astute at detecting vampiric and demonic presences. Years of slaying demons had sharpened her senses nearly to that of a Slayer. However, she also glanced around to ensure that she was not going to run into the Slayers while on her forbidden coffee run. They had left for patrol nearly an hour before she snuck out the back door and she knew that they would be less than pleased to discover her wandering the streets of Sunnydale on her own.

Turning a corner, she spotted the Espresso Pump. Just a few more feet and she would be home free. She quickened her pace, eager to slip inside its protective walls, but something tugged at the back of her mind. She slowed to a stop, closed her eyes, and listened. She heard a low humming in her ears and she knew that a vampire was close. Grabbing her gun from the holster on her ankle, she clicked back the hammer, and approached the alley just in front of her. She could hear the sounds of a struggle. Aiming the gun, she stepped into the alley. "Oh shit," she whispered harshly, ducking behind a dumpster when she saw the vampire.

Spike had a young girl pinned to the wall, biting her with a reckless abandon. Hailey heard the girl's body thud to the ground. Spike chuckled and sauntered out of the alley, humming a strange tune. Hailey watched him leave from her hiding place. Once he was gone, she moved over to the girl. She could not find a pulse. Spike had killed her though he had a chip in his brain that should have prevented him from injuring anyone and despite his newly acquired soul. Though Hailey knew that she should dust him, nothing seemed to add up. Slipping her gun back into her ankle holster, she walked out of the alley, watching as Spike disappeared into the crowd on Main Street, like a panther stalking through the jungle.

………………………

"Is it always this dead out here?" Faith asked as she twiddled her stake.

"Were you aiming for a pun there or don't you even realize when you're doing it anymore?" Buffy replied, smiling when she saw the sheepish look on Faith's face. The closer she looked, the more Buffy could see whirling around in Faith's eyes. She wandered if the other girl had always been so expressive, or if she had just been blind to the mystery that was Faith.

"That was actually a serious question," Faith mumbled. "But there's nothing out tonight, human, demon, or otherwise. I say we just pack it in."

Buffy sighed. She had been hoping to get a slay in that evening to help calm her racing mind, but it seemed as if she was going to be stuck with her thoughts. She looked over at Faith, who was thinking nearly the same thing, and slipped her stake back up into the sleeve of her jacket. "Home it is," Buffy declared. Faith threw a last, desperate look around the cemetery and then followed Buffy as she walked out of the cemetery gates, back onto the road.

"I hate all of this waiting," Buffy said as they walked down the street towards her house.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, glancing over at her.

"I know that I'm going to regret saying this, but I just wish that the First Evil would make a move, you know?" Buffy said in frustration.

"I think it's just enjoying messing with us," Faith stated.

Buffy looked over at her, wanting to ask a question, but uncertain if she should. Finally, she made up her mind and spoke. "When it appeared to you, who was it?" She asked.

Faith sighed and kicked a bottle cap down the street. "My first Watcher," she said after a painfully long silence that had Buffy questioning whether she had made the right decision.

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, hearing the sadness and anger in the other girl's voice. "You and she were close, weren't you?"

"She was like a mother to me," Faith replied. "A much better one than the one I had, anyway," she added mostly to herself. "Who did it appear to you as?"

"This boy Jesse. He was best friends with Xander and Willow when I arrived in Sunnydale, but he was taken hostage by some vampires and they turned him. Xander staked him at the Bronze," Buffy explained. "I've always felt guilty about him. When I first came here, I wanted nothing to do with slaying. I dragged my feet the whole time we were searching for him. Sometimes I think that if I had been more attentive, I could have saved him."

"It's not your fault, B," Faith replied earnestly. "Honestly, I don't know what the Powers that Be were thinking when they decided that high school girls were the best choice for being Slayers."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, I've often questioned that logic myself."

"This feels good, you know?" Faith said quietly. Buffy strained to hear her. "It feels right."

"What does?" She asked, though she already knew the answer to her question. She needed to hear Faith say it however; needed to know that she was not alone in what she felt.

"Being here in Sunnydale…with you," Faith said, looking down at the ground. Buffy stopped walking, though Faith continued ahead several yards before she realized that the blonde Slayer was no longer at her side.

"Faith," Buffy whispered, her eyes shining with something that Faith could not quite recognize, but interpreted incorrectly.

"I meant in a general way," she added quickly. "Being here good because we're getting along now and not so much with the violence…" She trailed off, watching with wide eyes as Buffy walked forward, stepping into her personal space. The shorter girl stared up at her for several long moments before she grabbed the back of Faith's head and crushed their lips together. Faith moaned at the contact, her brain reeling at the thought that Buffy was kissing her. As quickly as it started, it ended. Buffy pulled away, glanced at her with wide eyes, and ran off into the night.

"What the hell was that?" Faith muttered to herself. Reaching up, she touched her lips and smiled. She had not been expecting that kind of reaction from the older girl, but she could not say that she was disappointed. Kissing Buffy had been everything that she thought it would be, though it worried her that Buffy felt the need to flee afterwards. She feared that somehow Buffy would blame her for it and convince herself that Faith was somehow playing her emotions like she had back in high school. But Faith hoped that Buffy could see the earnestness in her eyes, hear the sincerity in her voice, and recognize the honesty in her touch. Faith mentally dragged herself out of the daze she had settled into and began walking, unaware of the two emerald eyes that watched from the cemetery gates.

The First Evil, wearing the face of the older Slayer herself, stepped out into the moonlight as Faith faded into darkness. "Well that is _very_ interesting."

………………………………………

Hailey glanced around the kitchen and quietly shut the back door. Her near encounter with Spike had not hindered her late night coffee run, but it had meant that she arrived back much later than she had hoped. She knew that if she was gone a half hour, no one would notice, but she had been gone for nearly an hour, and she feared that someone would have realized that she was no longer in the house. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," she heard someone say. Turning, she saw Willow standing in the doorway with her arms folded over her chest, but with a goofy grin plastered on her face. "I think someone snuck out of the house," the witch said in a singsong voice.

"Should I even try to lie my way out of this one or just plead the Fifth?" Hailey asked, smiling when Willow dropped her arms and moved into the kitchen.

"I'd plead the Fifth if I were you," she replied. "Where did you go anyway?"

"Espresso Pump," Hailey admitted. "I needed a jolt."

"Well, next time you decide to sneak out," Willow said, "Bring me a coffee back, will ya?"

Hailey laughed and nodded. "Anything you say," she replied.

"Really?" Willow said, wiggling her eyebrows flirtatiously.

Hailey watched, completely entranced, as Willow sauntered over to her and leaned against the counter next to her. She found herself entirely speechless._ Willow's actually flirting with me_, she thought in amazement. Finally, she recovered when she saw the witch looking at her strangely. "You okay?" Willow asked in concern.

"Fine," Hailey muttered. "Just blanked out there for a moment. All good now," she replied, smiling easily. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"I am," Willow replied honestly. "Things don't seem as doom and gloom anymore, though I'm not really sure why. To be honest," she said, but hesitated. Her eyes shone with anxiety and Hailey brushed a reassuring hand over her arm, trying to ignore the sparks that it sent through her fingers.

"It's okay," Hailey whispered. "You can tell me."

"Well," Willow said, looking up into her eyes with a childlike innocence, "I think it's because of you."

"What?" Hailey asked in surprise.

"Ever since you showed up, I don't know, I've just felt happy," Willow replied.

"I make you happy?" Hailey asked, a goofy grin spreading across her face. Willow laughed and nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. "But I just want to take things slow, you know? No rushing."

"I think I can handle that," Hailey said softly. "Though it's kinda hard not to want to rush things when I'm around you," she added, her voice dropping to a level that Willow found quite seductive.

"Lots of cold showers," Willow muttered. "That's the ticket."

The front door slammed open and Buffy stalked into the kitchen, starting in surprise when she saw her best friend and Hailey standing so close. "Did I just interrupt something? I just interrupted something, didn't I?" Buffy asked, instantly retracing out of her steps.

"No," Hailey quickly replied, the corrected herself, "Well, yeah, you kinda did. But I need to talk to you anyway."

"Oh, okay, good," Buffy said. "Let's go down stairs." Hailey threw Willow an apologetic smile before she followed Buffy down into the basement. "What's going on?" Buffy asked, once they were alone. She had heard a note of urgency in the other girl's voice that told her their conversation would be best conducted without an audience. By the grave look on Hailey's face, she knew that she had been right.

"Well, and I'm totally about to incriminate myself here, but I saw something tonight," Hailey said.

"What do you mean you saw something? In the house?" Buffy asked in alarm.

"No," Hailey replied. "Not in the house."

Buffy gasped in mock anger and shock. "You snuck out didn't you?" She said accusingly, smiling humorously at the guilty look on Hailey's face.

"You know, I don't know why I feel guilty about that anyway. I'm twenty-three years old for god sakes, I should be able to take a walk if I want to," she grumbled.

"And you would be able to, if not for the massive amount of Bringers patrolling Sunnydale, specifically looking for girls like you to maim and murder," Buffy pointed out.

"While I was out, I saw Spike," Hailey said.

"He said he was going out," Buffy replied.

"Yeah, but I saw him biting someone," Hailey finished. Buffy stared at her for several long moments with a furrowed brow until she made a surprised and slightly angry noise that Hailey could not identify. "That's not all though."

"It's not?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"We both know that he shouldn't have wanted to or been able to bite the girl in the first place," Hailey said. "But what's more, it didn't seem like him."

"You think the First is controlling him somehow?" Buffy asked, a light bulb going off in her mind.

"Yeah," Hailey replied. "He kinda strolled out of the alley, humming this weird song. It just wasn't right. What do you think we should do?"

Buffy thought for a moment before sighing. "Chain him up in the basement when he gets back. We might be able to coerce him into talking."

"What if he _is_ under the First's influence though? He might not remember anything," Hailey noted.

"That would be a problem," Buffy said darkly. "But Giles might be our solution." The front door slammed open and Buffy and Hailey instinctively felt a vampiric presence.

"Spike," they said in unison.

Buffy nodded and looked back up at the basement door, saying gravely, "I guess it's now or never."


	14. Clean Slate

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

The shorter girl stared up at her for several long moments before she grabbed the back of Faith's head and crushed their lips together. Faith moaned at the contact, her brain reeling at the thought that Buffy was kissing her. As quickly as it started, it ended. Buffy pulled away, glanced at her with wide eyes, and ran off into the night.

Chapter Thirteen:

Faith had intended to walk the very simple, straight road back to Buffy's house, confront her sister Slayer about their intense, but short kiss, and perhaps indulge in another. However, the road bent around and crossed, spinning Faith in circles until she found herself standing in front of Willy's Place, a local demon bar where Buffy often went for information. Faith, on the other hand, often went there for a drink. Shrugging, she walked inside. Eighties metal greeted her ears from the jukebox and all eyes turned to stare at her as she entered. Throwing up her hands defensively, she said, "No trouble here, I just want a drink."

The demons stared at her warily for several long moments and then resumed their conversations, ignoring the former rogue Slayer. "What can I get ya?" Willy asked as he wiped down the bar with his dirty towel that Faith imagined had been white at some point in time. She hated Willy. He smelled like cheap carry out and his face always shone slick with oil. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she took a seat at the bar, allowing her eyes time to adjust to the dim lighting before ordering a shot of Jack Daniels.

"Actually," she said, when Willy had turned to grab the bottle, "make it a double."

"Rough night, kid?" Willy asked, pouring her the shot. Faith smiled strangely.

"Something like that," she replied. Taking the glass in her hand, she lifted it to her lips, tilted back her head, and let the liquid slide down her throat. It burned her mouth, but she swallowed it and sighed, slamming the glass down on the bar. "How about another?"

Willy smirked and poured her another shot. "I'd take it easy if I were you," he cautioned.

"Why's that?" Faith asked as she downed the second shot and motioned for another.

"Lot of demons in here. I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting their hands on a drunk Slayer. A dead Slayer is a dead Slayer, even if she was incapacitated at the time," Willy noted. Faith grinned.

"I think you're missing the point," Faith said. "I'm a Slayer. I have Slayer metabolism. I don't get drunk. I rarely even get buzzed. So me and these demons, not gonna be a problem."

"Whatever you say, kid," Willy replied as he poured Faith another. Several shots later, Faith slapped her knee and laughed heartily as Willy recounted the story of a particularly violent poker game that he had held in his back room several months before.

"They bet with kittens?" Faith asked, her voice slightly slurred. Willy nodded.

"That's why there ain't much of an alley cat problem in this town," he said.

"I always wondered about that. I just thought the vampires ate them," Faith said thoughtfully. "Give me another drink," she said, motioning to the shot glass, but missing it.

"I thought you said you couldn't get drunk," Willy whispered to her from across the bar.

Faith leaned forward, giggling, and replied, "I was totally wrong." Willy nodded and poured her another drink.

"So what happened tonight that's got you in here drowning your sorrows?" Willy asked in concern. He had always like Faith. She was not so eager to break his nose as Buffy was, though he knew that the dark haired Slayer was not particularly fond of him.

"I'm not drowning my sorrows," Faith said defensively.

"Really? Because from this side of the bar, it looks like you are," he replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm drowning my mind numbing, overwhelming confusion," Faith shot back. "You know, I always knew that she had a thing for me. That night we danced at the Bronze, that wasn't some friendly, best buds kinda dance. That was a pure, unadulterated, sexually charged mating dance," Faith rambled. "But then she was all over Angel like he was the second coming and totally forgot that I existed. Not that I thought I ever had a chance with her anyway. She's like the sun, you know? She just burns and burns, radiating all of this energy that draws everyone to her."

"Who are we talking about here?" Willy asked in confusion.

"Buffy!" Faith said in irritation, as if Willy should have been able to read her mind. "Then she goes and kisses me tonight. I mean, what was that? She goes from hating me to wanting to jump my bones? I don't get it."

"Unless she never actually hated you," Willy pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, staring up at him as if he were the lighthouse saving her sinking ship.

"Well, you two have a lot of history between you. You both screwed up, right? Maybe she always felt something towards you, but never knew how to express it. Then you go all evil on her and she thinks that she should hate you for it, but she can't, because she has these feelings. So then she starts to resent you because you make her feel so conflicted. Finally, you come back here, all reformed, ready to kick some bad guy ass, and she thinks that, after all that time, she can give into her feelings. You've become the person she thought you could, so it's okay now," Willy explained wisely.

Faith stared at him until he began to fidget under her penetrating gaze. "When did you get to be so smart?" Faith finally asked, nearly falling off her stool. She laughed and reseated herself, slumping over at the bar.

"I've always been this smart," Willy said in mock indignation. "I'm a bartender."

"Oh, right," Faith said, as if she had been granted some special knowledge. Willy smiled and laid his towel down on the bar. Leaning forward on his elbows, he waited until Faith was paying attention to him to speak.

"Look, kid. I can see that you're going through something. But sitting here, getting plastered isn't going to fix anything. It's just going to make it worse. So get outta here, go home, and get some sleep," he said.

"Don't I owe you something?" Faith asked, reaching into her pocket for money she did not have. Willy smiled patiently and shook his head.

"Nah," he said. "Always happy to treat the Slayer. It's on the house."

Faith cocked her head and watched him for a moment. "You know something, Willy," she said, "I think I was wrong about you. You're not so bad."

"Thanks. That means a lot," Willy replied. "Now go home."

Faith nodded and turned, stumbling out of the bar. The chilly night air slapped her in the face, sobering her slightly. She stood, wrapping her jacket around herself, and stared down the long, dark road that led to Buffy's house. Sighing, she started to walk.

……………………………..

"Oh, bloody Hell, I can't have been biting anyone, I've got a chip in my head!" Spike argued.

"I saw you," Hailey said in exasperation. "You, getting all fangy, and killing some girl."

"That's impossible," Spike grumbled.

"The First could be controlling you," Buffy pointed out. "In which case, you wouldn't remember anything…well, we think anyway. It could have done something to your chip."

"This is ridiculous. Let me out of these chains," Spike yelled.

"Not until we figure out what's going on," Giles said, removing his glasses, and cleaning them on the front of his shirt.

"And how exactly are we gonna do that? Poke around in my head a little? I think not," Spike argued back.

"Hypnotism may be the only way to recover your supposedly lost memories, Although, personally, I think you're lying to us. Why aren't we just staking him again?" Giles asked in frustration. "He poses a threat to everyone in this house."

"We need him," Buffy argued.

"Really?" Giles shot back. "And this has nothing to do with the fact that you were sleeping with him?"

"No," Buffy said angrily. "It doesn't have anything to do with that. Whatever Spike and I had is done. But he's one of the best warriors we have and, right now, we need every warrior we can get."

"Wait a second, you've met someone else, haven't you?" Spike asked. "Who is it? Do I know him? I'm gonna kick his ass."

"Shut up, Spike," Buffy said irritably. Hailey smirked, reading the blush crawling up Buffy's neck correctly. She knew that Faith was desperately in love with Buffy, although the younger girl never admitted it. Though Buffy had never hinted either way, Hailey assumed that something had happened on their patrol that night.

"What's going on?" Faith asked, as she nearly fell down the stairs. She reached the bottom and paused for a moment to regain her balance. "Why's Spike chained up?"

Buffy looked at her incredulously. "Are you drunk?" She asked.

"No," Faith answered with indignation. "Well, maybe a little," she replied, grinning.

Buffy rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, attempting to ward off the headache she was sure would come. "Spike has been killing people," Buffy explained.

"So then why aren't we staking him?" Faith asked in confusion.

"Finally, a voice of reason," Giles said. "Even drunk she understands this concept. Spike is a danger."

"Buffy's right," Hailey said, coming to the blonde Slayer's defense. "We need him. If we can figure out how the First is controlling him…"

"If it is," Giles interrupted.

"Then," Hailey said, glancing over at him, "we may have a tremendous opportunity to learn about the First. Figure out how it does things. Maybe even turn the tables on it."

"Which is why we need Spike alive and why you need to hypnotize him," Buffy explained, throwing a look of thanks in Hailey's direction. Hailey smiled and nodded.

"I'm gonna go get some air," Faith said, moving back up the stairs. The world had started spinning and standing in a dark basement with a bunch of stressed out people did little to help. Opening the front door, she stepped outside again and sighed, closing it behind her. She walked over to the porch railing and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She heard the door open behind her and she turned to see Buffy walking towards her.

"I need to talk to you," Faith said, turning so that her back was against the railing.

"I need to talk to you too," Buffy said.

"Okay, you first," Faith replied.

"What happened tonight was a mistake," Buffy said, keeping a safe distance from Faith. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

"What are you talking about?" Faith asked in surprise.

"This," Buffy said, motioning between them, "will never happen. I hate you. You're the antithesis of everything that I want. Why can't you get that through you're head? You're nothing to me, Faith. So I lost control for a moment and wanted a warm body to press myself against. It's happened before. I mean, last year it was Spike, the year before, Riley, and now almost with you. But I don't hate myself enough to lower myself to sleeping with you, Faith. I never will," Buffy said, turned, and walked back into the house.

Faith stared after her in shock, tears stinging her eyes. Angrily rubbing at her eyes, she strode forward and threw open the front door. "I don't see why this is such a problem," Buffy said as she walked towards the front door with Hailey. Buffy looked up at Faith and smiled slightly, her eyes shining with the same something that Faith could not identify back in the graveyard.

"What the hell," Faith muttered, watching as Hailey and Buffy stopped walking and stared at her in confusion.

"You look like you're about to kill something," Hailey commented. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked, stepping forward.

"Not really," Faith replied, slightly staggering as she walked into the house and closed the door.

"What happened?" Buffy asked, rushing to her side as Faith leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor with a dazed look in her eye.

"You just totally blew me off," Faith replied, looking over at her.

"What are you talking about? This is me all with the concern and none of the blowing off," Buffy replied confusedly.

"I don't mean right now. I mean a couple of minutes ago, out on the porch," Faith replied.

"Buffy wasn't on the porch," Hailey said. "She's been in the basement."

"I saw you. You said shit to me. I was there," Faith argued.

"Touch me," Buffy said suddenly.

"What?" Faith asked in exasperation.

"Just do it," Buffy said. Faith reached out with trembling fingers and touched the side of Buffy's face. "See? I'm right here. I'm real. Whatever you saw, it wasn't."

"Oh shit," Faith said, slamming her head back against the wall. "I must just be fucking retarded."

"Don't do that," Buffy admonished her. "You're going to give yourself brain damage."

"I think I'm gonna give you guys a minute," Hailey said, moving out of the room.

"It was the First, wasn't it? It came to me as you. How can it do that?" Faith wondered.

"Because I died," Buffy said. "All that people that it's appeared as have been dead."

"Great," Faith muttered sarcastically. "So how am I supposed to know when I'm really talking to you?"

"I guess you'll just have to find a way," Buffy said, raising her eyebrows and looking at Faith pointedly.

Faith smiled. "I think we need to talk," she said.

"I know," Buffy said, sighing. "I'm sorry I ran off on you like that. I just freaked. I shouldn't have."

"No?" Faith asked, not quite able to believe her.

"No," Buffy confirmed. "I should have stayed."

"I kinda wish you had," Faith acknowledged. "Maybe then I wouldn't have gotten tanked."

"You're gonna regret that in the morning," Buffy said as she helped Faith to her feet. "Let's get you to bed."

"Already?" Faith asked. "Not into taking things slow, huh?" She joked.

Buffy rolled her eyes and slapped her on the arm. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I do," Faith agreed. "Did you really sleep with Spike?" She asked, looking over at Buffy, who had a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

"Who told you that?" She asked desperately.

"You did," Faith said. "Or, the other you. The First did."

"Oh," Buffy said.

"So, did you?" Faith asked.

"You know, you have no right to judge, you slept with Riley after you stole my body," Buffy pointed out. "And you slept with Xander."

"What's your point?" Faith asked.

"Clean slate," Buffy stated. "From now on, clean slate."

"I think I can live with that," Faith said, smiling.

"Good, now, like I said," Buffy replied, "let's get you to bed."


	15. The Prophecy

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming! I'm making up my Slayer history here, as I'm not really up to date on Slayer lore.

Previously:

"Clean slate," Buffy stated. "From now on, clean slate."

"I think I can live with that," Faith said, smiling.

Chapter Fourteen:

Giles lifted his teacup to his lips, parted them, and blew a steady stream of air over the hot liquid. Then he took a sip, smiling at the temperature and taste. Lowering the cup back down onto the coffee table, he picked up the book he had been translating. He had been scouring the Watcher's Diaries that Hailey had rescued, from the now destroyed Council headquarters, for any mention of the First Evil. Thus far, he had not found anything relevant. However, he was currently enmeshed in a volume, written by a Watcher who lived during the high times of the Roman empire, which frequently mentioned something know as the Origin.

Though Giles was not certain that the Origin paralleled the First Evil, the connection was enough that he had spent the majority of the evening wrestling with the Watcher's ancient, obscure Latin and appalling handwriting. The Watcher's name had been Marcus and though his Slayer had only lived for four years, she had faced many powerful demons. However, Marcus interested Giles, not because of his Slayer, but because Marcus seemed to have some special connection to the Powers that Be. The Watcher's Council had deemed him insane shortly after he began training his Slayer because he believed that the Powers were sending him visions of the future. The Council did not believe him and tried to have him killed. His Slayer, however, had stopped them. Shortly after she was killed by a master vampire, the Council succeeded in eliminating Marcus.

Though most of Marcus's prophecies were gibberish, in his last diary, he wrote of a day in which the Slayer line would be broken and three Slayers would walk the earth. "And the Slayers will do battle against the Origin and the world will be rent in chaos and despair," Giles translated aloud.

"That doesn't sound good," a woman said. Giles looked up and smiled wryly.

"I know who you are," Giles said matter-of-factly. "You have nothing to say to me."

"On the contrary, Giles, I have plenty to say," the woman replied smugly. "Although, I imagine you won't listen to most of it. You always did think you knew everything."

Giles sighed and removed his glasses. He cleaned them thoroughly on the front of his white, button up shirt and then slid them back on his face. Susannah Travers was sitting on a chair across the table from him in the dining room of Buffy's house. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning and everyone else was asleep. Giles, however, found that he did his best work when the house was silent. "I know that you're the First Evil. Everything you say is lies and deceit."

"Not everything," the First replied through Susannah's voice. "Quite a collection of books you have there. I still can't believe you risked my daughter's life like that."

"She had everything under control," Giles shot back, mentally admonishing himself for reacting to the First's obvious taunt. "She's not your daughter anyway. She was Susannah's daughter and you are only a demon wearing her face."

"Am I?" The First asked, standing. It slowly began pacing back and forth in front of the windows. "I suppose it's only natural that you would say such a thing," it said. "But you see, I have all of her memories. I know all of her thoughts. I'm inclined to act in the way that she would, if she were really here," the First said. "So does that make me some mindless demon that you can cast aside, or does that make me human in some way?"

"You're not human," Giles replied.

"Oh really?" The First asked and then smiled. "Say that to my face," it said as it morphed into a vision of Jenny Calendar.

Giles looked down at the table, refusing to meet the gaze of his dead lover. "What do you want?" He asked in exasperation.

"I merely wanted to see what the great Rupert Giles was studying," the First said, morphing back into the body of Susannah Travers. "Although, from what I've heard, you're not exactly the Watcher that you used to be."

"What does that mean?" Giles snapped.

"She doesn't need you anymore," the First replied, sitting down again. "I don't see why you stay here. In the end, she'll reject you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Giles replied angrily.

"Read the prophecies, Giles. Read what Marcus wrote about me, what he wrote about this battle. Just give up now. You can save the world so much pain and torment," the First said. "You aren't going to win."

"We won't give up without a fight," Giles replied determinedly.

"But at what cost?" The First asked. "Is it really worth all of that death?"

"To spare the world the evil of the First, yes, I believe it is," Giles responded.

"I hope you can live with all of that blood on your hands," the First said. "I know that I couldn't."

…………………………

"I just don't get it," Faith said, punching the newly fixed punching bag, which was hanging in the backyard from a structure Xander had designed to support the force of a Slayer's fury. Hailey grimaced and struggled to maintain her grip on the bag.

"You don't need to kill it," Hailey ground between her teeth.

Faith relaxed her stance and threw another punch with less force, but that still knocked Hailey and the bag back several feet. "I mean, when she slept with Angel, he had a soul. He was a good guy."

"Spike had the chip," Hailey pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was all. He didn't have a soul. If someone had yanked that chip from his skull, he would have slaughtered everyone in that house," Faith said, motioning back to Buffy's house. "And yet, she let him violate her."

"You can't always explain attraction," Hailey countered.

"Attraction is one thing," Faith answered, wiping sweat from her forehead. "But boinking the soulless undead is another thing. I know she said that we'd start with a clean slate, and believe me, I'm grateful. I don't deserve that."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Hailey interrupted. Faith threw another punch at the bag.

"But it's hard to forget some things, you know?" Faith said, ignoring the potential's remark. "I don't understand how she can forgive everyone else so easily but she couldn't forgive me for the longest time."

"Who are you talking about?" Hailey asked as she and Faith switched positions. Hailey threw her arm out; lashing at the bag with all of the strength her injured body afforded her. Faith smiled.

"You must have freaked the shit out of the vampires back home," she said. "That strong after you've been tossed around in an explosion, I kinda can't wait to see what you're like when you're better."

"You didn't answer my question," Hailey said, smiling her gratitude. Faith nodded.

"I'm talking about Willow, Anya, and Spike," she replied. "Willow tried to end the world, almost did it too. Spike tried to rape her because she broke up with him, according to Anya, who just happens to be a vengeance demon. And somehow I was the one that she just couldn't get passed."

"She expected more from you," Hailey replied, punching the bag again.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, holding the bag still.

"She couldn't forgive you because she always expected more from you than what you gave. She didn't expect anything from Spike, so it wasn't hard to forgive him for his faults. The same applies to Anya. Although," Hailey said, pausing, "I'm not really sure why she forgave Willow so easily."

"They're best friends," Faith replied a bit bitterly. "Everything's cool when you're in the inner circle. But if you're riding the periphery, you gotta be perfect or you're out."

"It's not like that," Hailey said.

"It was back then," Faith countered. Sighing, she shook her head. "I just don't get it."

"Get what?" Hailey asked, confused.

"The Spike thing," Faith replied.

"Sometimes you just need to feel," Hailey replied. "People do stupid things to forget, to feel, to pretend for a second they're really alive when all they see and feel is death."

"Speaking from experience, sheriff?" Faith smirked.

Hailey grinned sadly. "A bit," she replied. "You've been given a third chance, Faith, don't fuck it up because you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Faith shot back.

"Oh really? So you're telling me that the thought of Spike fucking Buffy before you doesn't make you so jealous you want to rip his bleeding head off?" Hailey asked, smiling when she saw the look on Faith's face. "You know that I'm right."

"Oh, shut up," Faith growled, though she was not actually angry with the other girl. She enjoyed talking to Hailey. The older girl seemed to have some inherent wisdom that Faith lacked. The backdoor suddenly opened and Buffy poked her head out.

"Guys? Meeting in the living room," she said before disappearing back in the house. Hailey sighed.

"You don't think she's going to give us another speech do you?" She asked wearily.

"I hope not," Faith agreed.

"You really have to talk to her," Hailey said as they walked into the house. "I always feel like jumping into traffic when she's done."

Faith smirked. "I don't think you're the only one," she said.

"The only one what?" Buffy asked when the two stepped into the kitchen.

"Nothing, B. What's the what?" Faith asked, diverting the blonde's attention.

"Willow found something interesting today when she was at the store," Buffy said, leading the two girls into the living room. Faith and Hailey stopped walking once they stepped inside the room, looked at each other, and glanced back at Buffy.

"B…why is there a rather dorky looking guy tied to a chair in the living room?" Faith asked.

"This is Andrew," Buffy said, glancing at her prisoner triumphantly. "He was one of Warren's lackies."

"Warren?" Faith asked.

"The man who shot Tara," Willow explained from her place standing next to Andrew. Andrew was looking at her fearfully and, though Willow was not planning to hurt him, she could not help but glare down at him dangerously.

"That still doesn't answer the why question," Hailey said.

"I ran into him at the store. He was buying massive quantities of blood," Willow explained.

"That's a little unnatural," Faith said.

"I take it we're planning an interrogation?" Hailey asked.

"Would this involve torture by any chance?" Faith asked. "I'm kinda good at that."

"It all depends," Buffy said, pointedly looking over at Andrew. "If he talks, than we can make life very comfortable for him. But if he doesn't, Faith," she said, looking over at her sister Slayer, " you can have all the fun with him that you want."

"Can I interject a thought here?" Andrew said, suddenly piping up.

"What is it?" Buffy demanded impatiently.

"I'm a human being with inherent rights as such…like freedom and all that," Andrew said.

"We're not letting you go, pipsqueak," Faith replied.

"Could you at least loosen the ropes? They're cutting off my circulation," Andrew whined.

"Buffy?" Hailey said, looking over at her. "I don't think he's a threat."

"Leave him," Buffy replied. "I want him to suffer a little."

"But…" Andrew said.

"From now on, don't talk unless we ask you a question, okay?" Faith said, stepping forward menacingly. Andrew gulped and nodded.

"So who were you buying the blood for?" Willow asked.

"No one," Andrew lied.

"Really?" Faith said, rolling her eyes. "So you just happened to want some blood around the house."

"Maybe," Andrew replied.

"Don't fuck with us," Faith said, stepping closer. "I don't have a lot of patience, kid."

"Okay, okay," Andrew said, leaning as far back in his chair as the ropes would allow. "The First wanted me to buy the blood," he said in defeat.

"What for?" Buffy asked inquisitively.

"I can't tell you," Andrew replied.

"Why not?" Hailey asked.

"It'll kill me if I do," Andrew said shakily.

"That's enough for now," Giles said, suddenly entering the room. "Buffy, Faith, I need to talk to the two of you."

"Okay," Buffy said, shrugging her shoulders at Faith's inquiring look as they followed Giles up the stairs and into the master bedroom.

"What's going on, G-man?" Faith asked when he shut the door behind them.

"I need to talk to you about something that I discovered last night," Giles explained. "And I didn't particularly want to discuss it in front of everyone."

"Understood," Buffy said. "So what's up?"

"I found a prophecy in one of the Watcher's Diaries," Giles stated. "It spoke of three Slayers who would fight against something called the Origin unto the destruction of the world, essentially. The Origin, I believe, is the First Evil."

"That's not good," Faith muttered.

"Wait, did you say three Slayers?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, I did," Giles answered.

Faith laughed mirthlessly and kicked at the carpet. "That means that I have to die, doesn't it?" She said.

"I'm afraid so," Giles replied.

"Who do we think the third will be?" Buffy asked.

"Well, we can't be certain," Giles said thoughtfully, "but the Council had high hopes for Kennedy. The Coven seemed to think that she was the most likely to be chosen next."

"So we have to keep an eye on her," Buffy said. "Protect her."

"Can we go back to the part about me dying?" Faith muttered.

"Don't worry about it," Buffy said, touching her arm reassuringly. "It's not that bad. I mean, I've done it twice," she joked. Faith smiled a little and nodded.

"I just thought you should know," Giles said.

"Thanks," Faith replied. "Do we know when this is supposed to happen?"

"No," Giles answered. "But we have many battles facing us. I don't imagine you'll have to wait long."

Faith nodded. "That all?" She asked. Giles nodded and she turned, walking out of the bedroom. Buffy looked after her worriedly before following.

"Faith!" She called down the hallway. Faith stopped walking and waited for Buffy to catch up with her. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Giles just told me that I'm going to die," Faith said. "Not really with the okay right now."

"We don't know that it's going to happen, Faith," Buffy replied. "Prophecies are tricky things. They don't always come true."

"But sometimes they do," Faith said.

"Yeah," Buffy had to agree.

"Look, I get that you're just trying to help, but I need to be alone right now, okay?" Faith said wearily, backing away. Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, blinking away tears as Faith walked away.

"Is she alright?" Giles asked, stepping out of the room.

"I don't think so," Buffy replied.

"You care a great deal for her, don't you?" Giles asked, studying his Slayer. Buffy smiled a little and nodded.

"I kinda think I'm in love with her," Buffy replied softly. "Believe me, I get how weird that is."

"I don't think it's weird at all," Giles said, watching Faith walk away. "You're both Slayers. No one else could understand what your life is like."

Buffy nodded. "We have this connection."

Giles smiled and wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Don't worry about her, Buffy. She's not accustomed to talking about the things that bother her. But she'll come around eventually."

Buffy smiled and wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. "I hope so."


	16. Early One Morning

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews and, as always, keep them coming.

Previously:

"I found a prophecy in one of the Watcher's Diaries," Giles stated. "It spoke of three Slayers who would fight against something called the Origin unto the destruction of the world, essentially. The Origin, I believe, is the First Evil."

Chapter Fifteen:

"You can break out of those chains, mate. All you have to do is try," the First Evil said as it lit up a cigarette. "I'd offer you one, but well, they're not actually real."

"Go away," Spike muttered, lowering his head and his gaze from the vision of himself that stood on the stairs leading to the basement. Spike was chained against the wall, sitting on a cot that Buffy had procured for him. "You're not real. None of this is real. You're just a figment of my bloody imagination. So sod off."

"Don't be like that," the First admonished, smiling Spike's cocky smile, and swaggering over to where the vampire sat.

"You don't have any control over me," Spike stated, looking up into his own face. "I have a soul now. I don't hurt people anymore."

"No?" The First asked, laughing. "Well feature that. Spikey doesn't hurt anyone anymore. There are a couple of dead little birds in a basement not too far from here that would beg to differ, mate."

"I didn't kill anyone," Spike reaffirmed. He shuddered as a cold sweat broke out on his brow. The First eyed him carefully.

"What do you want most of all?" It asked, squatting on the floor so that it's eyes met with Spike's.

"Leave me alone," Spike said weakly.

"What do you want most of all?" The First asked again, pronouncing each word carefully and fully.

"You know what I want," Spike said lowly.

"I want to hear you say it out loud," the First replied.

Spike hung his head, sighing heavily, before he looked up and answered, "Buffy."

"That's right," the First said, rising to its feet again. "You want Buffy. You went halfway across the world, fought with every ounce of your being, and won back your soul for her. And how does she repay you? She's sleeping with one of her most reviled enemies now."

"What are you talking about?" Spike asked sharply.

"Don't you know?" The First asked, laughing. "Buffy is sleeping with Faith. She's been doing it every since the rogue Slayer got here, even when she was still pretending to love you."

"You're lying," Spike replied. "I would know."

"Would you?" The First asked. "It seems to me that you're chained in a basement while Buffy is free to do whatever she wants, or should I say, _whoever_ she wants, whenever she wants. That doesn't quite seem fair to me."

"I hurt her," Spike mumbled. "She should move on. She deserves better than a bastard like me."

"Why? Because you think that you're beneath everyone?" The First asked. "Wake up, Spike. Things have changed since all then. You're better than them all now."

"Go away!" Spike yelled until his throat was hoarse. "I don't want to look at you anymore," he whispered.

"No," the First said, smiling as it shifted forms until it appeared before him as Buffy Summers. "You want to look at me."

"Buffy?" Spike asked, looking up at the First. "No, it's not you."

"You always were smarter than everyone else," the First said sarcastically through Buffy's voice as it walked dangerously close to Spike.

"Please," Spike begged. "I don't know what you want from me. Just leave me bloody well alone."

The First paused in front of Spike, letting it eyes roam over the exhausted vampire. Slowly, it began to sing, "Early one morning, just as the sun was shining, I heard a maid sing in the valley below. Oh, don't deceive me. Oh, never leave me. How could you use a poor maiden so?"

Spike closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, straining to hear a voice from his past. "Don't stop singing," he said softly. "Never stop."

"William," the First said. Spike opened his eyes and a strange light shined from within them. "I think it's about time you broke free from those chains." Spike looked down at the chains attached to his hands, holding him to the wall. With a swift, fluid motion, he lunged forward, and snapped the chains. Rising to his feet, he stared at the vision of Buffy and waited for its command. "I want you to go somewhere for me."

"Anywhere," Spike replied.

"Go to the high school. In the basement, there's a symbol. I want you to wait there for me. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Spike answered.

"You'll have to be discreet about it. They're watching you," the First said as Spike cautiously started up the stairs. He cracked open the basement door and listened. He could hear several potentials giggling and talking in the dining room. Buffy was in the kitchen, he could smell her. Moving forward, he quietly closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" A male voice asked. Spike turned and saw a boy tied to a chair in the center of the living room.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Spike asked, eyeing the boy carefully.

"Andrew. You're Spike, aren't you? That's so cool. You're like a legend, man. Do you bleach your hair?" Andrew asked. Spike growled, ignoring the boy as he stalked across the living room towards the front door. "Uh, I don't think you're supposed to go," Andrew called after him. Spike flung open the front door, smiling as he felt the cold air on his face, and ran into the night.

"Buffy!" Andrew called, trying in vain to scoot his chair closer to the living room door. "Buffy! Red alert!"

"What are you going on about?" Buffy asked, walking out of the kitchen, with Hailey in tow. "Who left the door open?"

"Spike," Andrew answered.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, closing the door. "Spike is chained up in the basement. I'm kinda thinking maybe you'd like to join him."

"But he's not chained in the basement anymore. He just went running out of the house," Andrew replied. Buffy's eyes widened as she spun around, threw the door open, and stepped outside. Gazing out into the darkness of the night, she saw nothing.

"Damn it," she whispered to herself. "Where was he going? Did he say?" Buffy asked, moving back into the house.

"No," Andrew answered.

"What's going on?" Faith asked, coming down the stairs.

"Spike escaped," Buffy answered. "He's going to kill again."

"Not if we can help it," Faith replied. "Let's bring him back."

"Are you sure you want to go out there?" Buffy asked as Faith stepped out of the house.

"Prophecy never said when I was gonna die, B. I'd rather not spend the rest of my life, however short that may be, locked up in the house like a prisoner," Faith answered angrily. "Let's motor."

Buffy and Hailey watched her walk out of the house, fading into the darkness of the front lawn. "Feel like going on patrol?" Buffy asked, glancing over at Hailey.

"Seriously?" Hailey asked, surprised.

"I want you to look after Faith for me," Buffy said as she and the potential left the house. "Giles discovered a prophecy in one of the diaries. It claims that three Slayers will do battle against the First, not just two."

"So Faith has to die for the third Slayer to be activated," Hailey said.

"Yeah," Buffy replied. "I've never been a big fan of prophecies and this one talks all big about the doom and gloom. I'm thinking I'd rather be fighting with two than three. Keep her alive for me. Promise me," Buffy said, her voice bordering on pleading as she walked ahead to join Faith. Hailey lingered behind for a moment, watching the two Slayers move into the night.

"I promise."

……………………………..

Spike threw open the doors of the basement of Sunnydale High. Several Bringers, dressed in brown robes and carrying torches, were waiting for him. One of them motioned for him to follow as they began walking through the labyrinth of tunnels underneath the school. Spike complied, his feet following the Bringers as if they were operating of their own will instead of his. He felt that something was wrong with what he was doing. Ever since he had left Buffy's house, he had the strangest longing to go back. He knew that the First was evil beyond measure, but he had no control over his waking mind. Only a small part of his conscious cried out to him, imploring that he return to Buffy's, that he reject the First's commands. But that part was too small and the power of the First easily squashed it.

"Spike, you made it," the First said through Buffy's voice as he walked into a large room, in which a section of the floor had been removed. Glancing down into a hole, he saw a metal seal carved into the ground.

"What is that?" Spike asked, looking up into the face of his former lover.

"The Seal of Danthazar," Buffy answered, motioning to someone behind him with the flick of her wrist. Suddenly, three Bringers were on top of him. He struggled against them, but they grabbed his arms, restraining them behind his body. He dropped to the ground as something heavy struck the back of his head. The Bringers dragged him over to a large wheel, holding him up as others brought ropes. Tying him to it, they cut open his shirt. Spike's eyes shot open as the first Bringer plunged his knife into the vampire's chest, carving an intricate design.

"What is going on?" Spike yelled painfully as the Bringer yanked his knife out of his chest. "I thought…I don't understand," he said.

"You're vital to all of my plans, Spike. But I need you to relax. It isn't going to hurt for much longer. I promise," the First said, circling Spike as he hung from the large, wooden wheel, several feet above the ground. The Bringers began cranking a strange device that Spike could not identify and the wheel lifted off the ground, creaking and moaning. When it finally came to rest, Spike was dangling over the seal. Blood poured out of the wounds on his chest and fell onto the ground. A light began to glow from beneath it as the edges of the seal lifted. Spike watched with fear in his eyes as an ancient, clawed hand shot out from under the seal. The First smiled.

"Welcome to the world, little one."

………………………

"Faith! Slow down," Buffy called after the other Slayer.

"What for? Spike's out there. He's dangerous, remember? We have to find him," Faith answered.

"It isn't doing us any good walking around in circles," Hailey reasoned. "We need to come up with a plan."

Faith paused and sighed, running a hand through her long, dark hair. Buffy watched her, resisting the urge to walk over, touch her face, kiss her lips, and tell her that everything would be okay. She did not think that Faith would listen. "Fine, so then where should we be looking? We know that he's hunted on Main Street before."

"He won't go there," Hailey stated. "He'll know we'd look for him there."

"The cemeteries?" Buffy suggested.

"But which one?" Hailey asked.

"I would say split up, but I think we'd be better off together," Faith rationalized.

"You know him better than any of the rest of us," Hailey said, looking over at Buffy. "Where do you think he would go?"

Buffy sighed and looked down at the ground. She could feel Faith's eyes burning holes in her head. She knew that Faith had a problem with her past relationship with Spike, though the Slayer had never said anything directly to her. But she could tell in the way that Faith's eyes hardened at the mention of his name that she was jealous of him. Buffy knew that she would not hurt him, however. Faith realized that they needed the vampire, even though the First was controlling him. "The school," Buffy said finally. "When he first came back, after getting his soul back, he locked himself up in the basement. I think he feels safe there."

"Back to school then," Faith said less than enthusiastically.

Hailey walked ahead of the two Slayers, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything that walked the night. Faith wanted to walk ahead and talk to Hailey, she felt like she needed the older girl's advice, but she knew that Buffy needed to say something to her. She could tell by the nervous way in which Buffy kept shifting her eyes from her face to the ground.

"What's on your mind, B?" Faith asked.

"I feel really bad about the way I reacted when Giles told us about the prophecy," Buffy said. "I didn't mean to come off so cold. I'm just so used to thinking about business first and my personal feelings second that I launched into commander Buffy mode."

"It's cool, B. We have to think about the girls first," Faith replied, mostly because she thought they were the words that Buffy wanted to hear.

"It's not okay," Buffy responded heatedly. "After Willow brought me back, I don't know, I was just different. Cold. Empty, somehow. I only slept with Spike because I wanted to feel something."

"You could have felt something with anyone," Faith burst, immediately regretting her words. She had not wanted to argue with the blonde Slayer.

"I know," Buffy said quietly. "But when I was with Spike, I felt dirty. I felt ashamed. But most of all, I felt something. I was disgusted with myself, but I couldn't stop. He was like a drug."

"I don't want to hear this," Faith muttered.

"A drug that I needed to stop using," Buffy added. "To me, death isn't such a big deal because at the end of the day, I want to die. I want to be free of this world and all of the horrible things in it."

"Nice to hear you're as much into this as I am," Faith said angrily. "You really don't give a shit about me do you? I'm just another drug for you."

"Would you stop interrupting me and let me finish me goddamn speech please?" Buffy yelled. She saw Hailey look back at them curiously and sighed. "You cut me off before I could finish. What I was going to say, was that every night I wanted to die…until you came back. You make me feel so many things, Faith, and none of them disgust me or shame me. You make me happy and I haven't been happy in a long time. You make me want to live again."

Faith stopped walking and sighed, looking Buffy in the eyes. "I don't want to die," she said. "Not just when I've gotten everything I've been living for."

"I won't let anything happen to you," Buffy replied, stepping closer. "I swear to God, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe."

"Promise?" Faith asked shakily.

"Always," Buffy answered, reaching out and gently caressing the side of Faith's face with her fingertips. Faith closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

"B," she said, but Buffy silenced her.

"Don't say anything," she said, leaning forward and capturing Faith's lips with her own.

Hailey smiled as she watched the Slayers passionately kiss. Faith deserved happiness more than anyone she knew. Hailey wanted to rage against the Powers for threatening to take that happiness away from her, just when she had found it. But Hailey knew that everything happened for a reason. If three Slayers were meant to fight the First, than Faith would not stay dead for very long. Hailey turned, about to continue walking, when a sudden pain flashed through her skull. She hit the ground, groaning. Touching the back of her head gingerly with her hands, she felt warm blood oozing from underneath her hair.

"What the hell," she murmured, struggling to turn over. She flipped onto her back slowly, stars exploding in front of her eyes. Looking up into the night sky, she watched with dread as the face of a vampire appeared before her. It was not a normal vampire, however. It was dressed in leather from head to foot. Its skin was crumbled and wrinkled like old paper, gray, dusty, and diseased. The vampire smiled and two yellow, fangs grinned at her. Leaning down, the vampire picked her up by the neck and plunged its teeth into her skin. White-hot pain flashed through her. She tried to call out, but no sound emerged.

Suddenly, the vampire was knocked away and Hailey thudded back down onto the ground. "Come on, sheriff," Faith said, lifting her. Hailey stumbled onto her feet and glanced over at Buffy, who was fighting with the vampire, though it appeared as though the Slayer was losing.

"What is that thing?" Hailey asked as Faith grabbed one of Hailey's hands and pressed it firmly against the bleeding wound on her neck.

"Big, nasty vampire," Faith replied.

"None like I've seen before," Hailey muttered.

Buffy lashed out at the vampire, but it dodged her punch. Grabbing the blonde Slayer by the throat, the vampire lifted her into the air and threw her several yards away She landed at the feet of Faith and Hailey. Buffy picked herself up, dusted herself off, and looked over at the other two girls.

"Everyone for running say I," she said shakily.

"I," Hailey and Faith said in unison.


	17. Shades

Night Falls

Notes: I just started classes today, so hopefully I will be able to continue updating three times a week, but at the very least, I will update twice a week.

Previously:

Buffy lashed out at the vampire, but it dodged her punch. Grabbing the blonde Slayer by the throat, the vampire lifted her into the air and threw her several yards away She landed at the feet of Faith and Hailey. Buffy picked herself up, dusted herself off, and looked over at the other two girls.

Chapter Sixteen:

"I don't feel so good," Hailey muttered to herself as Faith half dragged her up to Buffy's front door.

"Just keep pressing on it," Faith instructed.

"I think it's stopped bleeding," Buffy said as she opened the door with one hand while she inspected Hailey's wound with the other.

"Are you sure we shouldn't have taken her to the hospital?" Faith asked worriedly.

"No, no, I'm alright," Hailey said, absently waiving away Faith's concern. "I've been bitten by a vampire before…twice. Same vampire, actually. It was a thing. He's a pile of dust now though."

"This wasn't an ordinary vampire," Faith countered.

"It's not like she's going to sprout another head or anything," Buffy said jokingly.

"You never know with these things," Faith argued.

"Wait a second," Hailey interrupted, "is this sprouting another head thing a legitimate concern or was that just an example of something that could potentially happen as a result of a demon bite, but not actually as a result of my demon bite?"

"More of an illustration," Buffy answered.

"Though I wouldn't count it out," Faith said seriously, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her words.

"You're just messing with me now, right?" Hailey asked. The two Slayers walked into the house, laughing, as Hailey tailed behind them. "Right? Guys?"

"What happened?" Giles asked, walking out into the foyer from the direction of the kitchen. He had a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.

"We got attacked by a vampire," Faith answered.

"It bit me," Hailey said.

"I can see that," Giles responded as patiently as he could. "Please, come in to the living room. Let me take a look at it." The three girls followed Giles into the living room, where he deposited the book and mug on the coffee table, and took a seat next to Hailey on the couch.

"This wasn't just a normal vampire, Giles," Buffy said, taking a seat on the other side of the potential. "This was like an…uber vamp."

"Just come up with that now?" Faith mocked.

"Yes," Buffy said defensively. "But I don't hear you coming up with anything better."

"Really not the point," Hailey muttered.

"Move your hand," Giles said as he leaned forward and wiped some of the blood away from the wound with his handkerchief. Willow walked into the living room at that moment, her face turning from jovial to horrified as she saw the blood covering Giles' handkerchief and the ashen look on Hailey's face.

"Oh goddess, what happened?" Willow asked, rushing to Hailey's side. Buffy rose from the couch, giving the witch her seat, and joined Faith as the dark haired Slayer leaned against the wall.

"Vampire, teeth, ground," Hailey answered. "Pretty much all I remember."

"What was so different about this vampire?" Giles asked. "And can someone get me the first aid kit for god sake, this wound isn't going to bandage itself."

"I'll get it," Willow said, leaping to her feet. She rushed out of the room, on the verge of panic, leaving Hailey behind smiling to herself.

"What're you smiling at, sheriff?" Faith asked, chuckling.

"She really likes me," Hailey said, smiling goofily.

"You've lost a lot of blood," Giles said, turning her face so that she was looking at him instead of Faith, and speaking slowly. "You need to lie down and rest."

"Okay," Hailey replied, shifting her position on the couch so that she was lying down. Willow reappeared moments later carrying the first aid kit.

"It was old, really old," Buffy replied, answering Giles' question. "Ancient, almost. It seriously needed a face lift."

"Well, thank you, Buffy," Giles said, rolling his eyes, "that was terribly helpful."

"Sorry," Buffy said shrugging her shoulders. She thought for a moment, suddenly realizing of whom the vampire had reminded her. "He looked like the Master."

"What?" Giles asked in surprise, as he disinfected Hailey's wound with rubbing alcohol.

"That kinda hurts," Hailey said, sucking in her breath. Willow smiled sympathetically and reached over for her hand, gently rubbing her thumb over Hailey's knuckles. Though the pain was still there, Hailey found herself so intently focusing on Willow's touch that everything else seemed to blur together. The pain, the conversation, the entire room around her melted away, and all she could see was the red haired witch smiling down at her.

"The vampire, it reminded me of the Master," Buffy answered. "And it was strong Giles. I hate to say it, but it kicked my ass."

"It really did," Faith concurred.

"Thanks for the encouragement," Buffy said sarcastically, throwing a glance over at her sister Slayer. Faith just grinned and nodded.

"Anytime, B," she replied.

"This is not good," Giles stated. Hailey looked up at him alarmed.

"What?" She asked, panicked.

"Oh, not you," Giles quickly amended. Hailey breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Giles stuck a bandage on her neck and squeezed her free hand reassuringly. "You'll be quite alright. I dare say you were remarkably lucky. Now, up to bed with you. You need to get some rest," Giles said in a rather fatherly tone.

"Come on," Willow said, helping Hailey to her feet. "I'll help you up the stairs."

"You know, I'm not crippled. I kinda think I can do it," Hailey murmured.

"I know," Willow said with a smile in her voice.

"Uber vamp not a good thing?" Buffy asked once Willow and Hailey had disappeared up the stairs.

"Do I actually need to address that question?" Giles asked impatiently. "This vampire is obviously an ally of the First, if not one of the First's secret weapons. It's apparently new to the scene, so it must have come from somewhere. We need to find out where, what it is, and how we can defeat it."

"And if the First just happens to have an army of these guys waiting for us somewhere," Faith muttered.

"How do we know that it's actually working for the First?" Buffy argued.

"We don't," Giles said. "Not for certain."

"Uh, can I interject something here?" Andrew said suddenly, startling them.

"I really forgot that he was in here," Buffy muttered to herself.

"What is it?" Faith asked.

"This vampire," Andrew said nervously. "I think I know where it came from."

…………………………………….

"Not that I don't appreciate the escort, but I really can do this myself," Hailey said as Willow untied the potential's boots and slipped them off her feet. Hailey was sitting on the edge of Willow's bed, watching the other girl busy herself with her shoestrings.

"I just want to be helpful," Willow said as she placed Hailey's boots next to the bed and stood, nervously wringing her hands. Hailey smiled and tentatively rose to her feet. Grabbing Willow's hands, she gazed deeply into the witch's eyes.

"Thanks," she said appreciatively. "But I can't help but think that you're trying everything that you can to avoid acknowledging that we're _alone_ in your bedroom."

"Are we now?" Willow asked jokingly.

"I know you said that you wanted to take things slowly, and I completely understand that, but how slow were you thinking?" Hailey asked.

"What do you mean?" Willow answered, her voice regaining its anxious edge.

Hailey smiled softly, reaching up with one of her hands to lightly stroke Willow's face. "I just meant, I really want to kiss you right now. But I don't know if that's okay."

"Neither do I," Willow replied honestly.

"I just want you to know that I realize that I can never replace her. I'm not trying too. But I know there's room in your heart for both of us if you'll just let me in," Hailey whispered.

"It's hard," Willow whispered back.

"All good things are," Hailey said. "I'm not going to kiss you because I don't know if you're ready. But I wouldn't object if you wanted to kiss me."

Willow leaned into Hailey's touch, briefly closing her eyes as she let the other girl's words wrap around her. Slowly opening her eyes again, she smiled brilliantly before leaning in, and capturing Hailey's lips with her own. Hailey moaned into the kiss, relishing in the feel of Willow's soft lips dancing with hers. Willow pulled her forward, crushing their lips together as the passion between them mounted. Teasing the other girl's lips open, Willow slipped her tongue inside Hailey's mouth, gasping with pleasure as their tongues met and dueled for dominance. Finally, they broke away, each gasping for air.

"That was amazing," Hailey said after a moment's pause.

"Definitely," Willow replied. "I can see doing that lot more often."

"Yeah?" Hailey asked, wriggling her eyebrows seductively. Willow laughed and urged her back towards the bed.

"But not tonight," she said seriously. "Giles said you should rest and I agree. Blood loss is nothing to play with."

"Those the words of experience?" Hailey asked, lying down on Willow's bed. Hailey had been sleeping in Willow's bed nearly since the day she arrived, after the red haired witch discovered the extent of her injuries from the Watcher's Council headquarters explosion. Willow had been sleeping on the floor, a fact which had been bothering Hailey not only because she wanted to feel the other girl next to her, but also because it could not have been comfortable.

"Maybe," Willow answered.

"Do me a favor?" Hailey asked.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Will you just lay with me tonight? I know you don't sleep well on the floor," Hailey said. Willow thought for a moment, a myriad of emotions flying across her face. Just as Hailey was certain that Willow would say no, the witch smiled and nodded.

"Okay," she replied. "But no funny business," she warned half seriously.

"I promise," Hailey said, grinning as Willow slipped under the covers beside her.

………………………….

"This Seal thing sounds like bad times," Faith said as she walked into Buffy's bedroom, just ahead of the blonde Slayer, who closed the door behind them.

"Can't say it's of the good," Buffy replied.

"So we check it out tomorrow?" Faith asked, turning around to face the other girl.

"In the light of day," Buffy concurred.

"So are you actually going to stay in here tonight or bail again?" Faith asked as she slipped her shoes off and flopped down on the bed.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Well, ever since that oh-so-bad night when I got totally wasted, and I still don't understand how that happened, I've been sleeping up here, and you've been nowhere to be found," Faith explained.

"I'm not that kind of girl," Buffy said.

"The sleeping kind?" Faith asked in confusion.

"I don't just want to sleep with you, Faith. I barely even really know you," Buffy said.

"You know, I could take that the wrong way and assume that you were calling _me_ that kind of girl, but I'll let it slide for now. I'm not asking you to have sex with me, B," Faith said, laughing at the peculiar look on Buffy's face, "I'm just asking you to sleep in the same room with me. Doesn't even have to be in the same bed. Hell, I'll crash on the floor if you want. But all I know is that if we want whatever we have to go anywhere, we have to start playing the parts."

"This isn't a game, Faith," Buffy replied, taking a cautious seat on the edge of the bed.

"I know," Faith replied, sighing heavily as she sat up. "I didn't mean to say that it was. But I want to have a relationship with you. I've never wanted that before. I think that you want that too. I know that we still have a long way to go. But I'm willing to start walking the road," Faith said softly.

Buffy smiled and looked over at her. Faith could not help but notice how beautiful she was at that moment, her naked emotions playing across her face in a symphony of expression. "I want that too," Buffy replied, taking Faith's hand in her own. "And you're right, if we want this to go anywhere, we need to start taking the steps."

"Exactly," Faith said.

"Tomorrow, after we find this Seal thing, I want to tell the others about us," Buffy said.

"Really?" Faith asked. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"You don't want them to know about us?" Buffy asked, offended.

"It's not that," Faith quickly amended. "It's just that….well, they really kinda hate me, so far as I can tell. I'm not sure they'll be real happy."

"I don't care," Buffy said defiantly. "They can be happy for us or not. It won't change anything. And they don't hate you, Faith. Everyone's grown a lot since you left. I think they realize that the world isn't so black and white anymore."

"No, it's got a whole hell of a lot of shades of gray," Faith agreed.

Buffy squeezed her hand, "Yes, it does. And I want to explore them all with you."


	18. Theme of the Day

Night Falls

Previously:

"So we check it out tomorrow?" Faith asked, turning around to face the other girl.

"In the light of day," Buffy concurred.

Chapter Seventeen:

"So this is your office, huh?" Faith asked, looking around the cubicle in which Buffy worked with a blatant smirk on her face.

"At least I have a job," Buffy shot back as she organized some papers on her desk, shut down her computer, and stood.

"I'm not mocking," Faith said, throwing up her hands defensively. "I'm sure you do good for these kids. I just know that the guidance counselor at my old high school was a bitch."

"Where _did_ you go to high school?" Buffy asked, eager to know more about the woman she had started dating. Even when Faith first arrived in Sunnydale, before their relationship had taken a turn for the worse, the younger girl had never opened up to Buffy about her life before slaying.

"Boston," Faith answered. "You knew that already though."

"Yeah, I knew that," Buffy agreed reluctantly. "But you've never told me anymore than that. Like I said before, Faith, I barely know you. Yet, I feel more connected to you than anyone else."

Faith sighed heavily and looked down at the ground. She knew that she would have to talk to Buffy about her past, but that was a particular relationship hurdle that she was not fond of jumping. Her life in Boston had been nothing but horrifying and humiliating, with a brief reprieve when her Watcher first arrived. But even that good turn had turned sour when Kakistos entered into her life. Faith shuddered unconsciously when she thought of the cloven hoofed demon. He had taken everything away from her in an instant. Often, Faith wondered what her life would have been like if she had killed Kakistos before he ended her Watcher's life. She thought that things would have turned out very differently. Perhaps she would have finished high school, gone to college, and made something of herself. Instead, she had wandered from the path, lost herself in darkness and despair, and ended up in prison for murder.

"What're you thinking about?" Buffy asked, noticing the cloud that had passed over Faith's features.

"Nothing," Faith replied sullenly. "Let's just go." Buffy nodded, though she wanted to press the subject, and followed Faith out into the hallways of Sunnydale High. "Looks a lot different than the old place," Faith commented idly.

"I guess they didn't want history repeating itself," Buffy replied.

"Maybe they should've moved it then," Faith smirked. "Who's that guy?" Faith asked as a black man in a gray suit passed them in the hallway. He smiled politely and nodded at Buffy.

"My boss," Buffy replied. "Robin Wood. He's the principal of the school."

"I don't like him," Faith commented, turning her head to watch him walk down the hallway. He stopped at the corner and turned to look back at the two girls. When his eyes met Faith's, he hurried on.

"Why not?" Buffy asked. "He's harmless."

"Didn't like the way he looked at you," Faith answered distractedly.

"You were jealous," Buffy said, laughing.

"So?" Faith asked, her cheeks reddening from embarrassment. "My girlfriend happens to be hot Slayer. You do realize that practically everyone you pass has some torrid fantasy about you."

"Girlfriend?" Buffy asked hopefully, unable to belief that her ears had not been playing a trick on her. She knew that Faith cared about her, but she often wondered at the extent of Faith's caring.

"If you want to be," Faith quickly added.

"Of course I do," Buffy said earnestly.

"Looks like we're here," Faith commented, directing Buffy's attention to the basement door.

"Do you think that vamp will be down there?" Buffy asked.

"I would count on it," Faith answered. "If this thing is half as important as Andrew seemed to think it was, I'm betting the First is guarding it like there's no tomorrow."

"There might not be," Buffy muttered to herself. Cautiously pulling open the door, she stepped down onto the first stair.

"See anything?" Faith asked, pulling the door closed behind her as she followed the older Slayer.

"Not a thing," Buffy replied. "But my spider senses are bouncing off the walls."

"I feel you on that one," Faith said. Darkness enveloped them and they moved as the Slayers that preceded them had, through their intuition and instincts. Crouching closer to the ground as they walked, their postures spoke of an impending fight and the knowledge of certain death. Buffy had learned that death was her gift. Though she often wrestled with what that statement meant, she was starting to realize that death was not her gift so much as it was her reality. Everything she touched died, whether by her hand or another's. Each time she walked into battle, she knew that it could be her last.

Though Faith shouldered the same burden, she fought without concern over her own life. When the battle began, she lost herself in a flurry of passion – the same passion that had ruled Slayers for thousands of years. Buffy had been a product of training and calculation. Faith, on the other hand, had been a product of violence and pain. Each fought differently, but they fought towards the same goal. "Stop," Faith said suddenly.

"We're almost there," Buffy whispered, looking back at the younger girl. She could see Faith's eyes shining in the dark like the eyes of a lion waiting to jump out from a secret hiding place.

"That vampire's in there," Faith whispered back. "But so is another."

"Not the same type," Buffy said.

"No," Faith replied. "I think it's Spike."

"We have to get him out," Buffy said, moving forward through the darkness.

They continued until they reached a doorway. The door hung ajar, light spilling forth from the room inside. "Stay behind me," Buffy instructed as she knelt in the doorway. She could see the Seal in the center of the room. A wooden wheel of sorts was suspended above it. Buffy could see lines of blood staining the wood. Chains hung off of it, but they were empty. The Seal was closed. Bringers wandered into sight, but they were not armed as Buffy had expected them to be.

"They're not expecting us," Faith murmured. "Do you see Spike?"

"No," Buffy answered. "But I can feel him." Suddenly, Buffy pulled back from the doorway, motioning for Faith to retreat into the darkness.

"What is it?" Faith asked.

"The vampire, he's in there," Buffy replied. "Not that I'm doubting our abilities but…. well, okay, I'm doubting our abilities. I don't think we can take him."

"There's one of him and two of us," Faith argued.

"But we don't know that there's only one of him," Buffy said. "Add in all of the Bringers and we're looking at a battle we're not ready for."

"What about Spike?" Faith asked, sighing. She knew that Buffy would not budge from her opinion.

"He'll have to wait," Buffy replied. "But at least we know that the Seal is here and that the First is protecting it. That's more than we knew before."

"It's still not enough," Faith murmured as she followed Buffy, who was retracing her steps back to the basement door.

Faith was not easily shaken by the forces of darkness, but there was something about the First Evil that terrified her. It seemed to know everything about everyone; things that she did not even know about herself the First Evil had used against her. She was worried that the First would be something that they could not beat. Buffy had gone up against a myriad of enemies, but none so powerful and ancient as the First of all evils. The prophecy that Giles had discovered did little to belay her fears. Even though death would not be the end for her, the prophecy indicated that all would be lost in fighting the First, even if they won. Faith followed Buffy back up the basement stairs and into the light of day. "So what now?" She asked.

"Last night, I said that we'd tell the others about us today," Buffy said, anxiety evident in her voice. "Everyone should be at the house soon."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Faith asked.

"Yes," Buffy said determinedly. "I've lied to them enough recently. They need to know about us."

Faith smiled and pulled Buffy close, wrapping her arms around the blonde Slayer. "You're one of the bravest people I know, B," she said.

"No, I'm not," Buffy said, her voice muffled by Faith's shoulder. "I'm just not the brightest person on earth." Faith laughed and buried her face in Buffy's hair. Breathing in deeply, she smiled. She loved the vanilla scent of Buffy's shampoo. Wrapped in an intimate embrace by the door of the basement of Sunnydale High, neither Slayers noticed as a pair of laughing eyes watched them from only a few yards away.

"I take it this is something you were going to tell me later?" A voice asked. Buffy and Faith broke their embrace and glanced down the hallway, Buffy's face reddening like the afternoon sun.

"Hey, kid," Faith said. Dawn walked up to them, pulling her shoulders back so that she was standing at her full height, and stopped in front of Faith.

"What are your intentions with my sister?" Dawn demanded, noticing with nothing short of elation the wariness that crept into Faith's eyes.

"I'm not messing with her if that's what you mean," Faith answered catiously.

"Good," Dawn said. Then she stepped closer. "Because if you hurt her in any way, I will kill you. I'll do more than kill you. That clear?"

"Crystal," Faith answered. Dawn could be rather imposing when she tried and Faith did not doubt for a moment the validity of her threat.

"Welcome to the family then," Dawn said, smiling widely.

"So you don't have a problem with this?" Buffy asked.

"No," Dawn replied, but her face darkened. "Though, I'm not so sure that Xander and Willow are going to take it as well."

………………………..

Hailey picked up the telephone in the kitchen, closed her eyes for a brief moment, sighed, and dialed the number. Placing the receiver against her ear, she waited as the phone rang. Finally, the person on the other end picked up. "Yeah?" A gruff, just awoken voice answered.

"Trevor?" Hailey asked. "It's Hailey."

"Hails!" Trevor said, his voice instantly brightening. "Just the kick ass, vampire hunting sheriff I've been wanting to talk to. I called your office, but the deputy said that you had mysteriously vanished."

"Place to be, things to do," Hailey replied enigmatically. "Did you finish the latest batch of bullets?"

"That I did," Trevor said proudly. "Got even more for you than you ordered. I'm getting faster."

"I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that," Hailey said with relief. "I need you to send them somewhere else though."

"Where are you at now?" Trevor asked suspiciously. "You know, your deputy told me that you were having some troubles with the law. Some news came over the wire about a prison break in L.A. Man was concerned you might be in trouble."

"I'm not," Hailey said. "At least not from the law. Look, there's some serious vamp action where I'm at now. I'm in Sunnydale, California, and if you know anything about the place" –

"I'll know it's sitting on top of a bloody Hellmouth," Trevor finished. "Give me an address and I'll send them right away. Nothing says 'go to hell' quite like a UV bullet."

"1630 Revello Drive," Hailey replied. "And hurry."

…………………………..

"So what's up, Buff? New evil afoot?" Xander asked from his seat on the sofa.

"You know," Anya said, "if this is just another one of your 'oh so inspirational' talks, I think I'm going to pass. Really not much of a team player, anyway. Besides, they're boring."

"Anya," Willow said, shooting a look over at the ex-vengeance demon.

"Oh, right," Anya replied, "I wasn't supposed to say anything because Buffy thinks her talks really do arouse excitement and energy."

"They don't?" Buffy asked, glancing around the room.

"Not really," Hailey answered, shrugging her apology.

"Why didn't anyone say anything? I'm not trying to depress the troops here, I'm trying to encourage them," Buffy stated.

"Not really the point," Faith muttered over to her.

"Oh, right. Okay, I gathered you all here today not because I wanted to talk about some great evil or anything. I wanted to talk to you about Faith and I," Buffy said.

"I knew it," Xander jumped in. "What did she do this time?"

"I didn't do anything," Faith replied defensively.

"Although, we don't know that for sure," Dawn snickered.

"It's nothing like that, Xan," Buffy said. "Faith and I have sort of…well, where's Giles?" Buffy asked, suddenly realizing that the ex-librarian was missing.

"He left rather unexpectedly this morning," Hailey answered. "The Coven called and told him that they had located several potentials. He went to retrieve them. Apparently, more will be arriving everyday. We're expecting some this evening actually."

"More potentials," Faith said. "Enjoy the hot showers while you can."

"What were you saying, Buffy? Before we switched gears?" Willow asked.

"Right," Buffy said. "Faith and I have…."

"Oh!" Anya said, cutting her off. "You're having sex!"

"No," Faith immediately jumped in. "We're not."

"But you will some day soon. There's more sexual tension between the two of you than anyone I've met," Anya said, wriggling her eyebrows.

"You hooked up with Faith?" Xander asked, his voice tinged with something akin to horror.

"We're dating," Buffy replied. "We haven't hooked up."

"How could you do that, Buffy? She's a murderer," Willow blurted out. Hailey grabbed Willow's hand, diverting her attention.

"To be blunt, baby, so are you," Hailey said, ignoring the hurt that flashed through Willow's eyes. "There's no difference between you and her. If Faith can make Buffy happy, who cares."

"I can't deal with this," Xander said, rising to his feet.

"Xander, wait!" Buffy called as he stormed out of the room.

"Let him go, B," Faith said, grabbing her arm as she attempted to follow him.

"He'll come around," Anya said sympathetically.

"What about you, Will?" Buffy asked, her voice pleading with her best friend to accept her. Willow sighed and stood.

"I can't say that I trust Faith. But Hailey's right, I don't trust myself either. If she makes you happy, than I'm happy for you. But," Willow said, turning to Faith, "if you hurt her…"

"I know," Faith cut in. "You'll kill me. That really seems to be a recurring theme today."


	19. Just Me

Night Falls

Previously:

"I can't say that I trust Faith. But Hailey's right, I don't trust myself either. If she makes you happy, than I'm happy for you. But," Willow said, turning to Faith, "if you hurt her…"

"I know," Faith cut in. "You'll kill me. That really seems to be a recurring theme today."

Chapter Eighteen:

Hailey smelled the thick, acid smell of smoke invading her nostrils. It coated her throat with the taste of wood fire and she wanted desperately to cough, but something told her not to make a sound. Her eyes were clenched shut, but she knew that a layer of soot coated her eyelids by greasy way her skin felt. At first, she could not hear anything but a low humming in her ears and she thought that she had gone deaf. However, after a few moments, she began to hear the low beating of a drum. It was in the distance; a muted sound that, never the less, struck a manic fear in her heart. She wanted to flee.

Opening her eyes, she blinked away the sting of grime slipping through her eyelashes. The sky above her was a dark shade of gray that mingled with the bright, burning red of fire. The clouds that gathered in the atmosphere had a distinctly unearthly quality to them, as though something had changed them - something had defiled them. Hailey shuddered and sat up. She had been lying on the ground. Grass had once covered the spot where she lay, but the grass had been burned away until only a hard, crisp rock remained. _Volcanic ash_, she thought, but shook the thought from her mind. There were no volcanoes in Sunnydale.

Rising to her feet, she brushed a layer of dirt off her clothes and looked around. She wanted to scream out, but she found that her voice would not come. Everything had been burned to the ground. For miles in every direction, she turned, gazing out with unseeing, glazed eyes, at a world that no longer existed. She desperately wished to see some lone hawk circling in the sky, to indicate that she was not the only living thing left, but the sky was empty.

"Hello!" She finally yelled, her voice but a hoarse whisper in a landscape of despair. "Is anyone there?"

Bitter silence greeted her question, falling into the empty void of her heart. She stumbled forward, vainly trying to discern something familiar in the midst of the rubble. Finally, her eyes rested on something that she recognized. A sign teetered on the edge of a great chasm. The metal was bent and rusted, but the words were still discernable. It read 'Welcome to Sunnydale.' Hailey gazed out over the crater that had once been the town and struggled to breathe. "This can't be happening," she said to herself. "If I pinch myself, I'll wake up. This is all just a dream. It's just a dream," she repeated.

"Hailey!" A voice boomed out of the sky. "Hailey, wake up!"

Hailey bolted upright in bed, a sheen of sweat covering her body, as she panted for breath. "Baby, relax. You were dreaming," Willow said softly, reaching out and touching her girlfriend's arm with a brush of her fingertips.

Hailey turned her head sharply in Willow's direction and, for a moment, Willow had the sudden fear that Hailey was going to hit her. "Willow?" Hailey asked, her eyes focusing on the witch's red hair as her surroundings suddenly became clear.

"Yeah," Willow replied, smiling crookedly. "It's me. You're safe now."

"Bloody Hell," Hailey muttered, letting herself fall back on the bed. "That was intense."

"What were you dreaming about?" Willow asked, lying down on her side so that she was facing Hailey. She propped herself up with her elbow and casually rested her hand on Hailey's arm. The touch, however casual, sent sparks through her fingers and she wondered if Hailey was feeling the same thing. She hated to admit that whenever she was around the potential, she felt like she was back in high school – some adolescent girl that thought she was so clever with her secret touches and glances. Her heart flip flopped as Hailey looked over at her, her blue eyes shining in the dark of the night.

"The end of the world…I think," Hailey replied. Shaking her head slightly, she turned and mimicked Willow's position. "But I don't want to think about that anymore. You're right, it was just a dream."

"What do you want to think about then?" Willow asked, innocently running her fingers up and down Hailey's arm – innocently, though she knew exactly what reaction her touches were inciting in the other girl by the smoldering look in her eyes. Hailey seemed to arch into her touch, her body unconsciously moving closer to the witch.

"Anything else," Hailey muttered as she leaned forward and gently brushed her lips over Willow's neck. The witch shuddered and repressed a gasp that Hailey could feel trembling for release in her throat. Smiling, Hailey flicked her tongue out, tasting the salty flavor of the other girl's skin. At this, Willow did gasp, briefly letting her eyes flutter closed. "You taste good," Hailey whispered, kissing a trail up Willow's neck and onto her chin. Finally, she caught the witch's bottom lip with her teeth and sucked it into her mouth, feeling her body tingle as Willow groaned with pleasure. Releasing her lip, she watched as Willow opened her eyes.

"You stopped," Willow pointed out. Hailey nodded.

"I'm not usually one for the stopping," she replied. "But I distinctly recall you saying that you wanted to take things slow."

"I did," Willow said, partially concurring and partially groaning in frustration. "And we should." Smiling, Willow tucked a strand of Hailey's dark hair behind her ear. "You're so beautiful, you know that?" Hailey's smile lit up the room.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted the intimate silence that had settled between them. "Yeah?" Willow called. The door opened and Dawn poked her head in. As soon as Willow saw the teenager's face, she knew that something was wrong. "What is it, Dawnie?"

"We need you guys down stairs," Dawn said. "We've got Bringers."

Hailey and Willow leapt to their feet, following after Dawn as she hurried down the stairs and to the front door. Peering out one of the windows, Dawn motioned for them to look. "How long have they been out there?" Hailey asked, peeking through the glass. At least a dozen Bringers had assembled outside. They were standing in a semicircle, surrounding the front of the house. Moving away from the window so that Willow could look, she glanced into the living room. The other Potentials had gathered there, as well as Anya and Andrew.

"We just noticed them," Dawn said. "But that's not to say that they haven't been out there for a while."

"Where are Buffy and Faith?" Willow asked.

"They're on patrol," Dawn said.

"So we're alone here?" Hailey asked, restraining the urge to audibly groan.

"Yeah," Dawn answered. "I hate to say it, but if they decide to attack, we're done for."

"That not true," Kennedy suddenly said, jumping to her feet.

"Really?" Dawn asked, turning to regard the Potential. "How many fights have you been in, Ken? Do you really think we can take all of them on?"

"Dawn," Hailey said in a commanding tone that captured the younger girl's attention. "Now is not the time to get on each other. We have to stick together."

"So what's your plan then?" Kennedy demanded.

Hailey sighed. "Are there any around back?" She asked, turning to Dawn.

"No," Dawn replied.

"We should run while we still can," Hailey said.

"That's it? You just want to give up?" Kennedy asked in frustration.

"Hey, if you want to stay and get slashed to pieces, be my guest," Hailey burst out. "But if you want to live, then get your ass in gear."

"What happened to 'let's stick together'?" Willow asked softly.

"She pissed me off," Hailey replied.

"Guys?" Dawn said, moving back over to the window. "Something's happening."

"What?" Willow, Hailey, and Kennedy nearly said in unison as they moved over to the remaining window, crowding around it to see.

"Oh shit," Kennedy said, moving back.

"Still want to stay and fight?" Hailey shot over at her.

"Be nice," Willow said, jabbing her elbow into Hailey's ribs.

"What is it?" Anya asked, nervously rising to her feet and moving several steps towards them.

"Vampire," Hailey said.

"Just a vampire?" Anya asked. "You've taken on vampires before. What's the problem?"

"It's not just a vampire," Willow said, sighing. "It's one of _those_ vampires."

"Oh," Anya said. "Shit."

"Yeah," Dawn agreed. "Someone untie Andrew."

"Everybody listen up!" Kennedy said, moving back into the living room, as one of the girls jumped up and untied their reluctant hostage. "Grab a weapon. We're getting out of here, but we have to be ready to fight."

"Who put her in charge?" Hailey whispered over to Willow.

"She's gotta learn sometime," Willow replied.

"Why's that?"

"Giles told me some stuff before he left. You know about the prophecy regarding Faith?" Hailey nodded. "Giles is convinced that Kennedy will be the one to replace her. At first he wasn't so sure, but when the Coven called, they told him to pay special attention to her."

"That means the both of you as well," Kennedy said, turning back to Willow and Hailey.

"I don't need a weapon," Willow said.

"No?" Kennedy asked.

"No, I am a weapon," Willow replied. Hailey quickly ran up the stairs, into the bedroom she had started sharing with Willow, and grabbed her gun out of her duffel bag. Then she rejoined the others on the first floor.

"Here's the deal, people," Kennedy said. "We cannot make any noise. If they hear us, they'll come after us. But if they don't know that we've left, we'll be fine. Stealth is the key here."

"Question," Colleen said, raising her hand. "What exactly are we gonna do if they notice that we're fleeing?"

"Fight," Kennedy replied.

"But we're Slayers. That vampire out there kicked Buffy's ass without breaking a sweat. What makes you think we'll be able to fight it on our own?"

"Now really isn't the time to worry about that," Hailey replied. "Look, I know it's easy to start wondering about the 'what ifs.' But we can't do that. We have to take one step at a time. Right now, we're running. If that changes, we'll deal with it. But until then, just focus on what you're supposed to be doing."

Kennedy nodded, for once finding herself in agreement with the sheriff. Gazing around at the frightened faces surrounding her, she set her mouth in a determined grin and said, "Let's go."

………………………………

"Whatever happened to big, bad Spike? I remember you rolled in here, arrogant as the day is long, absolutely determined to kill me. But something happened to you," the First said, pacing back and forth in front of Spike wearing Buffy's face. "And it was before the chip, too. You changed. You lost that edge that had guided you for so long and you become a neutered puppy. Why?"

"I guess I fell in love with you," Spike replied, his voice just a whisper. The First stopped and looked at him, pleased. Spike was chained to the wall. His left eye was swollen shut, where the newly born uber-vampire had beaten him to obtain its first taste of blood. His head was hung low, desperately low, as if all hope of rescue had left him. The First knew that it was breaking him.

"That's right," it said. "You did. What a silly thing to do. Now you have that soul. It must just be torture."

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Spike asked, his voice stronger as he raised his head and glared at the First with his good eye. "You don't think I know what you're doing?"

"What am I doing?" The First asked, moving closer to him.

"You're trying to break me down. Trying to make me bloody crack. It's not going to happen. She'll come for me," Spike said confidently.

"Will she?" The First sneered. "If she was coming for you, Spike, she would have been here already. Face it, you're alone now. I'm all that you have left. She's moved on, Spike. She found someone new. She doesn't need you anymore to get her rocks off, not when she has Faith."

"You're wrong, you know," Spike said, letting his head fall back down.

"About what?" The First asked.

"You're not all that I have left," Spike said, realizing something for the first time in over a hundred years.

"What do you have left then, Spike?"

Spike grinned. "Me. _Just _me."


	20. The Last Hurdle

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming!

Previously:

Kennedy nodded, for once finding herself in agreement with the sheriff. Gazing around at the frightened faces surrounding her, she set her mouth in a determined grin and said, "Let's go."

Chapter Nineteen:

"I'm worried about Xander," Buffy said as she and Faith walked home from a rather fruitless patrol. They had only slain one vampire, of the normal variety, and had not seen any of the First's minions milling about the town, which was highly unusual.

"He'll come around, B," Faith replied. The chill night air blew down the street, scattering the fallen leaves, and causing Faith to shiver. She smiled a little, remembering the chilly nights in Boston. She used to sit by her apartment window and watch the snow fall down in big, white puffs. It was so peaceful, unlike everything else in her life, that she found it thoroughly fascinating.

"What if he doesn't?" Buffy asked, turning to Faith. "What if he can't forgive me for this and he never comes back? We haven't heard from him in several hours, Faith. What if something happened to him? What if the vampire got him? What if the _First _got him?"

"You gotta chill out, babe," Faith said as stopped in her tracks and let an exasperated sigh fall from her lips.

"But…"

"No buts," Faith replied. "Xander's fine. He's pissed. But he's fine. If the First had him, we'd know about it because you can be damn sure it'd want to brag."

"Maybe you're right," Buffy grumbled and resumed walking.

"Of course I am," Faith said.

"I don't see what his problem is," Buffy said. "He didn't react this way when he found out I had been sleeping with Spike." Buffy thought for a moment before adding. "Well, he reacted similarly. But he only walked away because we had been out in the middle of the street. And Anya had just slept with him too."

"Boy gets around," Faith commented. "Which I think is the problem here too."

"Spike?" Buffy asked. "What does Spike have to do with me and you?"

"Nothing," Faith said. "But the last time I blew through Sunnydale, _I_ slept with Xander, remember?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, repressing the urge to shudder with disgust. She knew that Xander had always harbored a crush on her, but she had always thought of him as a big brother.

"Look how well that turned out," Faith replied.

"He thinks you're just using me, like Spike, and that once again, I'm too blind to see it," Buffy said, realization dawning on her. "Not only that, but his pride is probably a little wounded."

"He's angry because he's worried about you and it frustrates him that you can never see when you're getting into something bad," Faith said.

"Am I getting into something bad?" Buffy asked, as she entwined her fingers with Faith's. Faith nearly jumped at the contact and looked down at their joined hands. She had never held hands with anyone before.

Smiling goofily, she lifted her eyes to look at Buffy. "No, you're not. In fact I'd go so far as to say that you're getting yourself into something very good."

"Would you now?" Buffy said, smiling.

They were nearing Buffy's house. The thought of a hot meal and warm bed were incredibly enticing to Faith at that moment. She had never had those things on a consistent basis, but now that she did, she knew that she could never go back to living out of a motel and only eating when she had the cash. "Buffy," Faith said, her eyes squinting as she stared into the distance.

"You just used my full name," Buffy noted. "You never do that."

"Now is as good a time as any to start. Why is your front door hanging wide open?" Faith asked. Buffy let her eyes follow Faith's pointing finger. Cold, sick dread clutched at her heart when she saw the front door to her house ripped open and hanging off at an unnatural angle.

"The girls," Buffy gasped as she started running towards the house. Faith was at her heels. They burst through the door and stopped dead in the house. The lights were still on, but neither of them sensed anyone's presence. "You check upstairs, I'll check the basement."

Faith watched as Buffy cautiously crept towards the basement door. Ignoring her own instincts to proceed with caution, she bolted up the stairs and into the first room that she saw. _No one_, she thought. She made her way down the hallway, checking each room as she went until she came to Hailey and Willow's room. She noted that it was empty, but she noted something else as well. Moving over to Hailey's bag, she saw that the older girl's gun was missing.

"The weapons are missing," Buffy said, appearing in the room behind Faith.

"Shit," Faith said, nearly leaping out of her skin. "Do you have to do that?"

"Sorry," Buffy replied, smiling slyly. "We have to find them. We should split up. You check the school, I'll check downtown."

"Okay," Faith replied. "But don't you think it would be better if we stuck together?" She asked.

"Not really," Buffy said calmly, nearly rolling her eyes. "I'll see you soon." Faith watched as Buffy left the room with a strange feeling rising in her chest. Shrugging her shoulders, she looked back at Hailey's bag and noticed that her hat was still perched on the bed post.

"Wouldn't just leave that behind," Faith muttered.

"Hey, did you find anything?" Buffy asked, nearly bursting into the room.

"No, but you already knew that. I thought you had left already," Faith said, eying her suspiciously.

"Left? Where was I supposed to go?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"You just told that we should split up to look for them. You were going downtown, I was supposed to go to the school," Faith said. "You must really be a blonde," she added under her breath.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Faith. I was just checking the basement. And there's no way we should split up, it's too dangerous," Buffy replied.

Faith suddenly smiled, a very knowing and self-reproachful smile. "Ha ha. Very funny," she said, looking around the empty room. "You're just a riot aren't you?"

Buffy glanced around the room, found it empty, and wondered to whom Faith was speaking. "Faith?" She asked.

Faith sighed and shook her head. "I'm really getting sick of all these mind games."

"I'm not messing with your mind!" Buffy burst in a shout.

"I'm not talking about you!" Faith shouted back. "It was the First again. It keeps coming to me looking like you. It's getting very confusing."

"Oh," Buffy said, immediately regretting raising her voice. "We really should come up with a secret code word."

"Okay, the First wanted us to go downtown and to the school," Faith said, on the verge of something but unable to reach it. "So if it wanted us to go there, than the girls must not be there. So where else would they go?"

"I don't know," Buffy said. "The school seems as likely a hiding place as anywhere else."

"The harbor," Faith suddenly said. "All of those empty buildings. It's perfect."

"I hope you're right," Buffy replied as they left Willow and Hailey's room and started down the hallway. "I don't think they stand much of a chance out there on their own."

…………………………..

"I don't think we stand much of a chance out here," Hailey said as she and the girls huddled into the back room of an abandoned factory. The Bringers and the uber vamp had begun chasing them after they had traveled a considerable distance away from the house. Though they appeared to have lost their pursuers, Hailey was not so sure.

"What would you rather us do?" Kennedy shot back.

"We should have tried to find Buffy and Faith," Dawn said, sitting down on an old packing crate.

"That would have done us a lot of good. We don't even know where they are," Colleen interjected.

"Yeah, we would have been running all over the bleeding town for nothing," Molly said.

"This isn't doing us any good, people," Anya said. "We need to stay quiet."

"How long are we going to wait here?" Andrew whispered harshly. Maria nodded along with him, though Hailey was nearly positive that the Spanish girl had no idea what was going on.

"Did anyone explain any of this to her?" Hailey asked. Colleen laughed nervously.

"I can do that," she said and began whispering to the other girl in Spanish.

"That _really_ is inconvenient," Anya muttered.

"We're going to wait here until the sun comes up," Kennedy said. "The vampire can't survive in the sunlight."

"That's nearly four hours away, Kennedy," Willow said, glancing down at her watch. "What makes you think they won't find us before then?"

"They will if you don't shut up," Anya said.

"If they find us, we'll run again," Kennedy said.

"I thought we came here to stop running," Hailey muttered to herself, referring more to Sunnydale than to the factory that they were currently sitting in. Willow gently placed her hand on Hailey's arm and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Everything's gonna be okay," she whispered. Hailey shivered when she felt the redhead's breath tickling her ear. Lifting her eyes, she saw Kennedy watching them.

"Something you want to say?" Hailey invited, smirking as Kennedy quickly shifted her eyes away.

"Don't antagonize her," Willow scolded, though her words were not heart felt. She did not have the will to be angry with her new girlfriend.

"Does she know?" Hailey asked, looking over at Willow.

"About the prophecy, you mean?" Willow asked. Hailey nodded. "No, she doesn't. Buffy thought it would be better to leave her in the dark."

"Don't want her getting a big head and all that," Hailey agreed. "But what if it's not her?"

"The Coven thinks it will be," Willow returned.

"Has the Coven always been right?" Hailey asked.

"I don't know," Willow replied thoughtfully. "But who else would it be? She's the most advanced."

"I don't think the Powers pick the next Slayer based on their abilities. I think it's rather random," Hailey said. "Just seems to me like Buffy should be training everyone equally and not singling out a specific girl."

"Well, if we ever get out of here, you can tell her yourself," Willow said.

……………………..

Spike knew that the First Evil was watching him, even though he had not opened his eyes in several hours. Whether the First believed that he was sleeping, however, he did not know. Spike was gathering his strength, calling it from every recess and chasm of his mind. The First was right about one thing, Buffy would not be coming any time soon – not because she did not care, but because she could not risk herself, Faith, or any of the Potentials when he was being guarded by an ancient, powerful vampire. _A vampire who's not here at the moment_, Spike thought to himself with satisfaction. The First believed that its plans were foolproof, but Spike was starting to see the ragged edges within them.

The Bringers and the vampire were gone. The only thing left was the First, but it was incorporeal. The only way that the First could stop him was by words. _Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me_, Spike recited. He could feel the handcuffs of the chains digging into his wrists. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and he restrained the urge to growl. Finally, he was ready. Opening his eyes, he lifted his head, and stared at the First Evil. "Finally awake," it commented. "I was beginning to worry."

"No, you weren't," Spike replied. "And if you don't mind, I think I'll be going now." Lunging forward, Spike used all of his strength to pull against the chains that were keeping him to the wall. After several seconds, he felt them begin to break. Finally, he stumbled forward, the chains falling at his sides, still attached to the cuffs at his wrists, but no longer attached to the wall.

"Where do you think you're going?" The First asked through Buffy's voice as Spike walked determinedly towards the exit.

"Anywhere but here, love," Spike replied.

"They don't want you," the First said. "No one wants you anymore."

Spike wheeled around on his heel, his eyes wide with fury as he stared down the First Evil. "You just keep talking and talking and talking, don't you? Well, it's about time _you_ realized something. No one is listening!" Spike yelled. Turning, he walked out of the basement, fleeing up the stairs and into the high school. It was still night outside. Taking a deep breath, he caught the scent of the pack of Bringers and the vampire that had left some hours earlier. Smiling the smile of a man who had broken free from the last thing holding him back, Spike began to follow it.


	21. The Spread of Darkness

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews.

Previously:

Spike wheeled around on his heel, his eyes wide with fury as he stared down the First Evil. "You just keep talking and talking and talking, don't you? Well, it's about time _you_ realized something. No one is listening!" Spike yelled. Turning, he walked out of the basement, fleeing up the stairs and into the high school. It was still night outside. Taking a deep breath, he caught the scent of the pack of Bringers and the vampire that had left some hours earlier. Smiling the smile of a man who had broken free from the last thing holding him back, Spike began to follow it.

Chapter Twenty:

Vaguely, Hailey could hear the whispering sounds of someone praying. She turned her head and saw Maria sitting on a box in the corner, her hands folded in her lap, whispering something that Hailey could not understand. "Find anything, just block the damn door!" Kennedy was yelling. Hailey looked up and saw Willow and Anya pushing a packing crate in front of the door. Kennedy was picking another up, prepared to place it on top once the two women had moved out of the way. Something crashed into the steel door again, bulging out the center. Colleen screamed.

"We're never gonna make it out of here," Molly said fearfully, her voice shaking as she spoke. Hailey smiled grimly and shook her head, restraining the urge to laugh. She did not know why the Coven wanted her to come to Sunnydale. She thought that she should have ignored Giles' call in the very beginning and just stayed at home, fighting the evil that disturbed her town. Instead, she traveled across the world, nearly died in an explosion, practically kidnapped two frightened teenage girls, and broke a dangerous criminal out of prison. She could not figure out why she had bothered with any of it. Had she truly come all of that way just to die in an old warehouse? Running a hand over her face, she closed her eyes briefly and tried to block out the banging of the door, the determined, yet scared commands of Kennedy, and the scraping of the boxes sliding across the floor as people moved them into position.

"What's going to happen?" Andrew said, looking over at her. "Are we going to die in here? I don't want to die in this town."

"Neither do I," Hailey replied. "But I don't think we have much choice in the matter."

"You're really a glass half full type of girl, aren't you?" Dawn said jokingly. Hailey smiled a little.

"What are you doing?" Colleen asked. "We need to get out here, but you're blocking us in!"

"The best thing to do is wait until sunrise," Kennedy said calmly. "It's not even an hour away."

Hailey looked out of the small window in the upper left hand corner of the room. It was still dark outside, but the sky was lightening, turning a dark shade of blue instead of black. Kennedy was right. The sun would be up within the hour and then the vampire would not be able to continue its attack. _Assuming that it's even a vampire trying to bust in here_, she thought. The door shook, dust showering down on them from the ceiling. "I don't think it'll hold," Hailey said softly.

"It'll hold," Kennedy replied. "It has to."

Hailey was about to reply when the window she had just been looking at suddenly shattered. Glass busted into the room, falling and splintering like crystal on the dirty floor of the warehouse. Kennedy, Willow, and Anya scattered. Rising to her feet, Hailey prepared her muscles for the fight she was sure was about to come. The rest of the girls and Andrew gathered tightly together, determined to stand together, rather than fall alone. A lone figure dropped through the window. As soon as Hailey saw his dyed blonde hair, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's Spike," she said.

"How do we know that's a good thing?" Kennedy whispered.

"I thought the First was controlling him," Colleen stated.

Hailey stepped forward, breaking the line they had formed as Spike rose to his feet and smiled cockily. "That really you?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously as he stepped closer.

"In the flesh," Spike replied.

"You look like shit," Hailey commented, relieved to see the vampire.

"Thanks. I could say the same about you, but I'll be a gentleman," Spike replied. "I guess I'm here to rescue you."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad to see you," Willow said as the group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Let's not go and have a sentimental moment here, Red. I've still got an image to maintain," Spike responded, but smiled nonetheless.

"So what's your plan?" Dawn asked. Spike opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it again.

"I hadn't actually gotten that far," he said after a pause. Their conversation was interrupted by a loud crash that echoed through the outer portion of the warehouse. "What the bloody hell was that?"

The sounds of a fight broke out and Hailey looked over at the others. "I think we should find out."

"There's no way we're opening that door," Kennedy said. "Not with that thing out there."

"We don't know what's out there," Hailey countered. "It could just be a bunch of Bringers. But something's happening and I want to know what it is."

"Me too," Colleen said, nodding her head.

"I don't like it," Kennedy replied.

"Well, you're not in charge anymore," Spike suddenly spoke up. "I am and I'm busting that door down."

Moving over to the door, Spike quickly moved the packing crates out of the way and kicked it open. Stepping out into the warehouse, he let his face morph into its vampire form. The others followed him, each smiling widely when they saw Buffy and Faith fighting a crowd of Bringers. Their smiles faded, however, when they saw the uber vamp circling the Slayers. "Alright, girls," Spike said. "I think it's about time you had some field training."

"Field training?" Molly asked.

"Let's kick some ass," Spike replied, rushing into the fray. The others lingered behind, uncertain, until Hailey shrugged and stepped forward.

"What the hell," she muttered and grabbed one of the Bringers from behind. Spinning him around, she dodged his knife and punched him in the nose. He staggered backwards, the knife hanging loose in his hand, and Hailey snatched it from him. Smiling at her new weapon, she twirled it in her fingers, circling the Bringer. She could not figure out how he could see to block her moves. His eyes had clearly been gauged out, but he knew exactly where she was standing. Either his other senses had developed to an extraordinary degree, or the First was using some sort of magic to allow the Bringers to see without actually seeing.

Glancing around the room, she saw that the others had joined in the fight as well. Willow, Anya, and Andrew were triple teaming a Bringer, who was having a difficult time warding off all three of them. Hailey smiled and focused her thoughts on the Bringer in front of her. She had always enjoyed fighting and she had excelled at it in her training. Very rarely did she lose when she was sparring with the other potentials with whom she had trained in London. Her blood pumped through her veins, spreading adrenaline throughout her entire body. All of her nerve endings hummed and sizzled as if they were on fire. She knew that if she was feeling half of what Buffy and Faith were feeling, than the power of the Slayer was more potent than any drug that anyone could manufacture.

The Bringer charged at her and she sidestepped him, slamming the handle of the knife down on his back. He crashed to the floor, falling face first. Blood spurted out from under him as his chin split on the hard floor. Hailey hesitated as she straddled the Bringer, wondering for a moment if it would be wrong to kill him. As far as she could tell, he was human, though he was working for the wrong side. Pushing those thoughts aside, she shifted her grasp of the knife and took a deep breath before plunged it down into the struggling Bringer's back. His movements suddenly ceased and she knew that she had pierced his spine.

Leaning down, she whispered, her lips almost brushing his ear, "Now you know what it feels like." Twisting the knife, she pulled it out of his back and rose to her feet. A pool of blood slowly began to spread out from beneath him. It crawled closer and closer until it licked the tips of her boots. Turning, she caught Faith's eyes. The younger girl was watching her intently, a look of concern passing over her features. Hailey turned her eyes away and focused on the next Bringer.

Meanwhile, Buffy and the uber vamp were circling each other. Each time the vampire moved closer, Buffy backed away, knowing what would happen if she engaged it in a fight. "You have to do something, B," Faith yelled over to her.

"I can't fight this thing," Buffy replied.

"The girls are watching you," Faith said as she and Buffy circled closely to each other. "They need to know that you can handle anything that comes their way. They're counting on you to protect them. You're their leader, B."

Buffy knew that Faith was right. She would never have the potentials' trust and loyalty if she could not prove to them that their coming to Sunnydale had not been a mistake. Stepping forward, she prepared to fight the vampire. It charged at her, tackling her to the ground. Pushing it off, she leapt to her feet and slammed her fist down into its face. The vampire smiled and charged again. This time, Buffy moved out of the way. Turning back to her, the vampire growled. It caught her in the face with its fist and the blonde Slayer stumbled backwards, nearly falling to the floor. She could feel blood trickling down her face in little rivers.

Wiping it away, she moved forward, lashing out her foot. The vampire dodged her kick and grabbed her foot, twisting her leg until she fell. Grabbing her from behind, it tried to sink its teeth into her neck, but she slammed her head backwards, catching it in the face. It howled in pain and let her go. "Buffy!" Willow suddenly cried. Buffy turned to look at her friend and saw her holding a large, rusty chain. The witch threw it to her and Buffy caught it, moving out of the way as the vampire tried to bring its knee down on her back. Twisting the chain through her hands, she tightened it into a taught line.

The vampire rushed at her again. Buffy moved at the last second, spinning around, and grabbing the vampire from behind. Throwing the chain over its neck, she tightened it, choking it with the rusted metal. The vampire struggled in her grasp, but she held firm. The chain cut through the skin of its neck. She knew that she only needed to apply a little more pressure and she would kill it. Yanking the chain back, she closed her eyes as the vampire's head split from its neck. It exploded into dust. The Bringers stopped fighting and fled from the warehouse.

"That went well," Spike commented.

Buffy dropped the chain and looked around, into the faces of her friends and the potentials. "This is how it's going to be from now on. You came here because you heard that I could protect you. Well, I can. And I'm going to. It's not going to be easy. But I will do everything in my power to keep each of you alive, that much I can promise you," she said.

"Let's go home," Faith said, moving over to Buffy and throwing an arm around her shoulders. "That was good, nice and short."

"Not so depressing, right?" Buffy asked.

"No, that was actually kinda motivational," Dawn said, walking up to her sister.

"Dawn," Buffy stated, pulling her sister into a tight embrace. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm okay," Dawn said. "A little shaken up, but good."

Together, they filed out of the warehouse. Hailey lingered, falling in line in the back. She knew that she should join Willow, but she hesitated. Looking down at the bloody knife in her hands, she dropped it as she walked through the doorway. It clanged on the ground and Faith looked back at her. Hailey ignored her look and continued walking. She wanted to wipe her hands on something. There was blood on her fingers, sticky and wet, but slowly drying. "You okay?" Willow asked, slowing her pace to join the dark haired potential.

Hailey smiled a little and nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?" She asked. Willow watched her intently as she spoke.

"I don't know. You seem a little…."

"A little what?" Hailey asked, her voice taking an angry edge that she had not intended.

"Nothing," Willow said, shaking her head. "Forget I mentioned it."

"Already have," Hailey replied, regretting the words almost immediately as Willow quickened her pace, obviously angered by her flippant attitude and refusal to talk, and walked ahead of her. Sighing, she looked down at her hands, frowning. The blood seemed to be spreading. It was creeping down her hands, from her fingers to her palms. She could feel the warmth of it spreading across her skin and she closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, the blood was gone.


	22. Blood in the Water

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the delay in posting, but school has been crazy.

Previously:

Buffy dropped the chain and looked around, into the faces of her friends and the potentials. "This is how it's going to be from now on. You came here because you heard that I could protect you. Well, I can. And I'm going to. It's not going to be easy. But I will do everything in my power to keep each of you alive, that much I can promise you," she said.

Chapter Twenty-One:

"You can chain me up all you want, but I'm not going to hurt anyone," Spike argued.

"The First can still control you, Spike," Buffy said exasperatedly. She, Faith, and Spike had been arguing over how to house the blonde vampire ever since they arrived back home from the warehouse. Spike was convinced that he had broken the First's spell over him when he voluntarily walked out of the school basement. Though Faith was inclined to agree with him, Buffy was still wary.

"We should give him a chance, B," Faith said.

"Why are you on his side anyway?" Buffy demanded.

"This isn't about sides," Faith argued. "It's about what's right. You know I'm a firm believer in second chances. Yeah, I don't really like the guy. He did things to you that I can't forgive, but we need him. He has a soul now and maybe, somewhere deep down inside, there's a good person waiting to be given the opportunity to come out."

"What she said," Spike added. "I know I've said this before, but I just want to say it again. I really am sorry for everything that happened. I was out of my mind. You know that it won't happen again."

"I know," Buffy said quietly. "I get that you were a different person back then. But that doesn't change the fact that the First has some kind of power over you."

"Like I said, I'm not going to stop you from chaining me up again. But I don't think it's me you've got to worry about," Spike noted.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'd be more worried about Hailey if I were you," Spike said. "Did you see the look on her face when she killed that Bringer?"

"She liked it," Faith said, her eyes far away.

"She killed something evil," Buffy said. "What's the problem?"

"Evil or no, those guys are still human," Spike said. "She just killed a person and enjoyed it. That doesn't bother you?"

"It's not exactly like I can say I didn't enjoy killing them either," Buffy replied.

"You didn't see her though, B," Faith said. "There was something off about her after that."

"She kept staring at the blood on her hands," Spike noted.

"And she was a bitch to Willow," Faith added.

"So she's going through something. There's no need to pounce all over her because she got a little freaked out," Buffy replied. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"Like what?" Faith asked, astonished at Buffy's lack of concern.

"Like whatever the First is planning to throw at us next. We just eliminated its best warrior. It can't be too happy about that," Buffy said.

"So what's the plan?" Faith asked, sighing deeply.

"Training is going to get a hell of a lot more intense from now on. I want those girls ready to tackle anything that comes their way. I'm not always going to be there to save them. They need to be able to save themselves," Buffy said.

"What about that kid, Andrew?" Spike asked. "Surely he can be of use somehow."

"Didn't you say that he had rigged your house with cameras once?" Faith asked, looking over at Buffy.

"Yeah, so what?" Buffy asked.

"I was just thinking," Faith said, running a hand through her hair absently. "What if we got him to rig the town with cameras so that we could see what was happening everywhere? We'd know where the Bringers were and we'd be the first to see if something new came to town."

"That's a pretty good idea," Buffy said, smiling. "I'll talk to him."

Buffy quickly walked up the basement stairs in search of Andrew, leaving Faith and Spike staring at each other awkwardly. "So you're sleeping with her now?" Spike asked.

"No," Faith said. "Who told you that?"

"The First, actually," Spike replied sheepishly. "Must have been trying to mess with me. But you _are_ with her now," he stated, moving over to his cot and sitting.

"Yeah," Faith answered.

"Listen, I appreciate you sticking up for me. I know that I don't deserve it. I just want you to know that I'm not going to try to interfere with anything that you two have. She deserves better than me," Spike said.

"I think that myself sometimes," Faith said, sitting down on the cot next to him.

"What do you think we should do about Hailey?" Spike asked.

"Nothing, according to B," Faith answered.

"You always listen to everything that she says?" Spike asked conspiratorially.

"No," Faith said, smiling. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Who? Buffy?" Spike asked.

"No, Hailey," Faith replied.

"There's something different about her, you know? She's got so much sadness in her eyes. It's hard not to want to make life better for her," Spike answered.

"I know what you mean," Faith said. "When I first met her, she didn't care about the fact that I was a criminal or a murder, she believed in me. It was kind of amazing."

"I suppose we could talk to her, see if she'll open up," Spike said.

"If she's anything like me, that'll only make it worse," Faith responded bitterly.

Spike smiled wryly. "Then we better hope she's not."

………………………………..

"All of the washing in the world won't make it go away," Willow said quietly, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"What are you talking about?" Hailey asked, looking over at her. Scalding water was running over her hands. The blood had been washed away a long time ago, but somehow Hailey could still see it staining her skin.

"The blood," Willow replied, moving into the room and shutting the door behind her. "You can wash and wash and wash, but it'll still be there."

"How do you know anything about it?" Hailey replied bitterly.

"I was there," Willow answered. "I killed someone too, you know. Sure, he was evil. He was the worst kind of evil – a person who willingly gave himself over to darkness. And for what? Power? Women?"

"I don't see where you're going with this," Hailey replied, focusing back on her hands.

"But Warren was still human, even though he was evil," Willow continued. "Just like that Bringer."

Hailey froze. Her heart was pounding in her chest, each thud only magnifying the guilt that she felt for ending another's existence. "It was a Bringer. Who cares?"

"You do, obviously," Willow said, taking a step closer.

"Why the fuck should I care about some stupid Bringer? He was a lackey for the First Evil. He deserved to die," Hailey shouted.

"Then why are you washing your hands raw in the sink?" Willow questioned. "You're hurting yourself, baby."

Hailey looked down at her hands, noticing for the first time that she was rubbing off the skin. Blood seeped through cracks in her palms, turning the water red. It was not the blood of the Bringer; it was her own blood. Hailey pulled her hands away from the water, shaking, and looked up at Willow. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore," she whispered.

"I know," Willow said, taking a step closer and pulling Hailey into a tight embrace. "But we can get through this together."

"Why don't you tell her that it's not the first time you've killed someone?" Quentin Travers said, suddenly appearing in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Hailey nearly jumped in surprise, but concealed her reaction by pulling away from Willow, and looking down at her hands.

"You okay?" Willow asked, noting the change in Hailey's eyes. Her girlfriend had seemed receptive to her efforts to comfort her, but something had shifted in her eyes, something dark. "What's wrong?"

Hailey slowly turned her head and gazed over at the First Evil. Willow followed her gaze, frowning at the empty space. "There's something else in this room," Hailey said softly.

"What are you talking about? There's no one else here," Willow replied.

"Is that anyway to talk about your father? _Something else_?" Quentin asked, smiling smugly.

"The First Evil," Hailey replied. "It's in here. You can't see it, but I can."

Willow turned pale. "How long has it been here?"

"Long enough," Quentin said, though Willow could not hear him. "All of that blood on your hands, Hailey. Layers and layers. It's never going to come off, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you scrub. You can never wash away the things that you do. They stay with you forever. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Hailey asked, ignoring Willow.

"Don't listen to it, Hails. It's trying to mess with you. We should get out of here," Willow said, reaching over to open the bathroom door.

"Unless you make it stop," Quentin said. "It can all be over. But only if you choose it to be." Quentin disappeared just as suddenly as he had appeared, causing Hailey to jump with surprise.

"He's gone," she said, allowing Willow to lead her from the room.

"What did he say to you?" Willow asked, half dragging Hailey into the bedroom that they shared and closing the door behind them. "I should do a spell," she muttered to herself. "To keep it out of the house."

"Nothing," Hailey replied. Willow looked at her pointedly. "Nothing important, anyway," she amended.

"In my experience, everything it says is important in some way," Willow said.

"You _should_ do a spell," Hailey reflected.

Willow flushed. "I don't know. I was just thinking out loud."

"Why not?" Hailey asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Willow said beside her.

"I guess I'm afraid," Willow replied cautiously.

"Afraid of what?" Hailey prodded.

"Losing control again. Magic…it's an incredibly powerful thing. Not just in what it can do, but also in what it can do to the person performing it. I lost myself in it. I don't want to do that again," Willow replied sadly.

"Hey," Hailey said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Don't forget that I'm here to help you, okay? I know a thing or two about addiction," she said. "Drugs and I were best friends for a long time. But I got through it and so can you."

"How?" Willow asked, looking over at her with tears shining in her eyes.

"Take it one step at a time," Hailey replied. "Just stop thinking about tomorrow and the day after that. Just think about today. Right now. This second. And right now, you're okay. That's all that matters."

Willow smiled. "You know, I thought that I was supposed to be helping you tonight," she said.

"Don't really need all that much help," Hailey answered. "Just being around you is enough."

Willow blushed and looked down at her feet. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, glancing over at Hailey.

Hailey frowned and sighed. "I don't know. There's a lot you don't know about me, Will. A lot of bad things."

"The past doesn't matter," Willow replied boldly. "Everybody deserves a second chance."

"How about a fifth chance?" Hailey asked, smiling wryly. "Seeing that blood it just…" Hailey trailed off, unable to say what she had been thinking. _It just reminded me of someone_, she thought.

"Just what?" Willow asked curiously.

"You know what, it doesn't matter," Hailey said. "It's been a long day…or night. How about we get some sleep?"

"Okay," Willow agreed, though reluctantly. She felt as thought she had almost succeeded in prodding Hailey into opening up and she did not want to opportunity to pass her by. Hailey had been right; Willow did not know all that much about the other girl, but she found that she was incredibly curious. "But first, let me fix up your hands. You're bleeding everywhere."

"I guess I am," Hailey said, looking down at her hands again when Willow left the room to procure bandages.

"Poor baby," Tanya said, suddenly appearing in front of her. "You must just be so tired."

"I am," Hailey agreed. She knew that she was talking to the First Evil again, but it was easier when it wore her old girlfriend's face.

"Go to sleep, Hails. You don't have to work so hard anymore. Let everyone else worry about everything," Tanya said soothingly.

"I have to worry," Hailey contradicted her. "It's part of the job."

"It's not your job," Tanya replied. Willow walked into the room and the other girl disappeared.

Kneeling in front of Hailey, she set the bandages on the floor and looked up at her. "Give me your hands."


	23. The Message

Night Falls

Notes: Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I know, excuses, excuses, but school has been crazy and I'm in the midst of starting my own photography business, so I've been a bit busy. I'll try to update when I can.

Previously:

"All of the washing in the world won't make it go away," Willow said quietly, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

Chapter Twenty-Two:

Faith watched as the girls worked through a series of exercises. The sun was shining brightly, forcing her to squint. Faith was still amazed at the weather in California. Autumn was nearly over, but she was still hot in her white tank top. In Boston, she would have been bundled up in a heavy coat. _If I even had a coat_, she though to herself wryly. Buffy paced several yards in front of her, watching the girls with a keen eye. It had been a week since the blonde Slayer killed the uber vamp and she had personally taken charge of the girls' training. She did not want them to be helpless in the face of danger anymore. It was time that they became Slayers in their own right.

Giles had brought back several more girls and the house was beginning to feel crowded. Faith was constantly battling for hot water in the morning and for cereal for breakfast. Dawn had been given the duty of shopping for food and it seemed as though the teenage girl was spending most of her time in the supermarket. Faith snickered, imagining the ridiculously thin girl pushing a cart loaded with groceries through the parking lot. She imagined that the cart probably pushed Dawn, instead of the other way around.

While Buffy had taken a more active role in the girls' training, she still relied on Faith to teach them the finer arts of combat, which was why Faith was waiting for the blonde Slayer to finish. Though Buffy had been a successful Slayer for a number of years, she appreciated Faith's style of fighting. Kendra had been too stiff, she had lacked the passion which made Faith such a great fighter. When Faith had first arrived in Sunnydale, her passion had turned to rage. But she was slowly learning how to control it. Her efforts were paying off and she had become a force to be reckoned with in the field. Though she was satisfied with her progress in slaying, Faith had to admit that she was becoming frustrated in her relationship with Buffy.

The blonde Slayer was obviously attracted to her and obviously cared about her. They had been sleeping in the same bed every night, but thus far, they had not capitalized on their mutual attraction. Faith knew that Buffy had been burned in the recent past by people who had used her for her body, but she also knew that Buffy wanted her just as much as she wanted Buffy. Faith sighed and lit up a cigarette. "In a sharing mood?" Hailey asked, emerging from the back door and sitting next to Faith on the step.

Faith handed Hailey a cigarette and lit it with her own. "How you feeling, sheriff?" Faith asked.

"Fine, why do you ask?" Hailey wondered.

"You've had those bandages on your hands for a week now," Faith pointed out. "No one's ever bothered to explain them."

"I hurt my hands. I thought that was obvious," Hailey retorted.

"Don't play games with me, sheriff. I know there's more to it than that. I saw the look on your face when you killed that Bringer. I didn't mention it before because I wasn't sure if it was my place, but Spike and I have been worried about you."

Hailey looked down at the ground and smiled a little. "Been worried about me, huh?" She said, bumping shoulders with the younger girl. "I'm fine, really. Had a nice long talk with Willow and worked everything out."

"Why am I not convinced?" Faith asked. "Let me guess. You felt so guilty about it afterwards that you couldn't seem to stop seeing blood everywhere. So you ripped up yours hands trying to wash it off."

"How did you know that?" Hailey asked, looking over at her sharply.

"You seem to forget that I was in prison for murdering two people," Faith noted. "I get what guilt is like. I still see the blood everyday. I just know that there isn't a way to get rid of it now."

Hailey nodded and took a drag off of her cigarette. Breathing the smoke back out, she sighed. "I didn't tell Willow this, but that wasn't the first time I killed someone," she said softly.

"What happened?" Faith asked, masking her surprise with some effort.

"It was two weeks after I became sheriff. This guy robbed a convenience store. I got into a chase with him and he crashed his car into a guardrail. When I went to arrest him, he pulled a knife on me," Hailey explained.

"What did you do?" Faith asked, looking over at her.

"I shot him in the chest," Hailey replied. "I've never been able to reconcile that. I know that if he had been given the opportunity, he would have stabbed me. But it just didn't seem like a fair fight. It didn't bother me at first, but afterwards, I started to think that maybe there had been another way for me to handle it."

"Like you said, he would have killed you," Faith rationalized.

"Maybe," Hailey agreed. "But maybe not. I'll never know."

Their conversation was cut short when Dawn opened the door and popped her head outside. "We just got a call from the hospital," she said.

"Why?" Faith asked, rising to her feet. Hailey did the same.

"Apparently a girl was brought in last night with a stab wound to her stomach. She told the doctors to call us this morning, after she regained consciousness," Dawn explained.

"You hear that, B?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Buffy replied, motioning for the girls to take a break from their training. "Let's go see who she is."

"Want to come?" Faith asked, looking over at Hailey.

"Don't have anything better to do," she replied, flicking her cigarette away.

"You could be training with everyone else," Buffy said pointedly.

"Yeah, but what fun would there be in that?" Hailey replied sarcastically. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I need to have a talk with Willow about you," Buffy said jokingly.

"Now that's harsh, B," Faith said. "Using the girlfriend."

"It would get the job done though," Buffy replied.

"She's devious," Hailey said to Faith. "How do you put up with her?"

"I really have no idea," Faith said, watching Buffy walk ahead of them with a triumphant grin on her face. "But it's really kinda worth it."

………………………………

"What happened?" Buffy asked sympathetically as she sat next to the injured girl in the hospital, holding her hand.

"My Watcher had told me to come to you if anything happened, after the Council was destroyed. I never thought I would have to, but then one day I came home from school and he wad dead. I just left. I didn't even pack anything. I've been on the run every since. The Bringers have been following me everywhere I go. I thought I had outrun them, though, after I left Los Angeles," the girl replied, wincing with pain as she shifted in the bed.

"Take your time," Hailey suggested. "Can we get you anything?"

"Some water?" The girl asked.

"I'll get it," Faith said, moving over to the bathroom.

"So you left Los Angeles," Buffy prodded.

"I had been hitching rides to get up here. I was passing through this little town when I ran into another group of Bringers. They almost had me, but this car stopped and picked me up. I thought I would be safe with him," the girl said, shuddering suddenly.

"Him?" Hailey asked.

The girl's eyes turned dark as she recalled some bitter and painful memory. "Yeah. He was a preacher, or something. At least he was dressed as one. He said that his name was Caleb."

"Caleb," Buffy stated.

"We don't know any Caleb," Hailey said, looking over at her.

"Must be a new player," Buffy commented. Faith reemerged from the bathroom with a glass of water.

"Here," she said, handing it to the girl, who accepted it with a shaking hand.

After taking a drink, she said, "He was nice enough to begin with. We got away from the Bringers. But then he started to get weird. He liked to talk. He just talked and talked and talked. But he had a serious problem with women."

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, sitting down next to Buffy in one of the hospital chairs.

"He said I was a dirty girl and that dirty girls needed to be punished. But that I was needed to serve a higher purpose. He wanted me to give you a message," she said.

"What did he say?" Buffy asked, her blood running cold.

"I have something of yours," the girl stated.

………………………..

"What do you think he was talking about?" Faith asked as they left the hospital.

"Xander," Buffy replied.

"What?" Hailey asked.

"No one has seen him in a couple of days," Buffy replied. "Not since he stalked out of the house after we told him about us," she said, looking over at Faith. "Even Anya hasn't seen him."

"That doesn't mean that the First has him," Faith replied.

"Where is he then? Besides, I recall you saying that if the First had him, it would want to brag about it. What do you call that?" Buffy asked Faith.

"I can see where this is going. You need to stop panicking. I'm sure Xander is fine. Right now, we need to worry about who Caleb is, rather than what he supposedly has," Hailey said.

"So you just want me to forget that Xander could be hurt, dead, or worse," Buffy stated angrily.

"No, but I want you get your head in the game," Hailey replied, feeling her own anger start to surface. "Here you are telling us how we're supposed to be this army. But you want to run off at the first provocation and risk everything. An army has to plan."

"I didn't say that," Buffy said.

"Really? So if we found out where Caleb was right now, you wouldn't want to go confront him?" Hailey asked.

Buffy looked down at the ground. "She has a point, B," Faith said.

"You're on her side?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"This isn't about sides," Faith said. "But how about we compromise? Let's have Willow do a locator spell. See if we can't figure out where Xander is on our own before we rally the Calvary and storm Caleb's secret liar, okay?"

"Okay," Buffy grumbled.

"This is good. Willow wanted to do another spell as well," Hailey said.

"She did?" Faith asked.

"Well, wanted may be too strong of a word. But she mentioned considering doing a spell to keep the First out of the house," Hailey said.

"Can she do that?" Buffy asked.

"She's Willow," Hailey replied. "She can do anything."

……………………….

"How long have you been gone?" A British voice asked, snapping Xander out of his thoughts as he drove his uncle's car up a long, winding road.

"A week," Xander said.

"And you didn't tell them where you were going?" the other man asked.

"No," Xander replied. "I was a little pissed off when I left, Wes."

"Why did you decide to come to Los Angeles," Wesley replied, glancing over at him.

"I didn't. I just sort of ended up there. Once I got there, I figured I'd come check out Angel Investigations. After that, I realized that we could use your help up in Sunnydale," Xander said. "You're one of two Watchers left alive that I know about."

"I'm glad you came," Wesley stated. "I do want to help. I'd also like another chance with Faith."

"Why?" Xander asked. "She's dangerous."

"Yes, she is. But not to me. Or to you, for that matter. I know you don't believe it, Xander, and I understand, but she has changed. I've seen it," Wes said.

"I don't know," Xander mumbled.

"Give her a chance. She'll surprise you," Wes said, smiling a little.

"Maybe that's what I'm afraid of," Xander responded.

"When should we arrive?" Wes asked, glancing out of the window as the California coast rolled by.

Xander smiled grimly, "Sunset."


	24. Friends

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming.

Previously:

"He said I was a dirty girl and that dirty girls needed to be punished. But that I was needed to serve a higher purpose. He wanted me to give you a message," she said.

"What did he say?" Buffy asked, her blood running cold.

"I have something of yours," the girl stated.

Chapter Twenty-Three:

"Do you ever wonder what's going to happen after all of this?" Buffy asked, slipping underneath the covers beside Faith and pulling them tightly around her body. Faith shrugged and rolled onto her side, propping her head up with her hand.

"What do you mean?" She asked, watching as Buffy nervously fidgeted with a stray string that was hanging off the end of the sheets. "Just pull it off," Faith suggested, nudging her slightly.

"I mean after all of this stuff with the First Evil goes down. Do you ever wonder what's going to happen?" Buffy asked again, looking over at her with wide, innocent eyes that belied the darkness and pain held deep within her. "I don't want to. It's been here forever," she said in reference to the string.

"Not really," Faith replied. "I've never thought about the future. I just think about now."

"Well, I think about the future. And I'm worried, Faith. About everything. What _is_ going to happen after we defeat the First?"

"You're getting pretty optimistic on me here, B," Faith said with a smirk. "I thought you were all doom and gloom about the First Evil."

Buffy sighed. "I know that I haven't been very good at rallying the troops. But the First is just like any other monster I've fought…. we've fought," she corrected herself. "The good guys always win. It's just a matter of how much we lose in the process that bothers me."

"People are going to die," Faith concurred.

"Sometimes I lay awake at night wondering…who's going to live…who's going to die. You get so used to someone being around and then all of the sudden that person is gone," Buffy said softly.

"Like your mom?" Faith asked, reaching over and tracing a comforting line up and down Buffy's arm. She felt a spark whenever she touched the older girl, but she suppressed the overwhelming desire that rose up in her chest. She knew that Buffy needed her.

"Like my mom," she agreed. "But also like Ms. Calendar, or Tara. Especially Tara. I still can't believe that happened. It's like one day she as here and everything was perfect. Then in one instant everything changed. For what?"

"I don't know," Faith replied. "Everything happens for a reason though. The trick is figuring out the reason in chaos."

"Then I think, what if the next person to die is Giles…or Willow…or Xander? I don't think I could live with that. But the thing is, I can think about what it would be like if they died. But I can't even think about what it would be like if you died, or if Dawn died," Buffy said, shivering despite the warmth of her blankets.

"I'm not going to die, B," Faith said with conviction. "I've fought a lot of battles in my life and I didn't come this far…"

"But you are going to die," Buffy said, interrupting her. "Giles said so. The prophecy says so."

"But the prophecy also talks about three Slayers, B," Faith reminded her. "I've gotta be one of them."

"How can you be so sure?" Buffy replied. "You die and another is called. But how do you know that she won't die as well. How do you know that she won't be the one brought back by something?"

"I don't know," Faith replied. "But I feel it in my heart. I'm not ready to leave you yet."

"That's never stopped anyone before," Buffy replied sadly.

"Why do you do this to yourself, B?" Faith asked, turning away from the blonde Slayer with an angry sigh. "You can't change the past and you sure as hell can't change the future. What's going to happen will, no matter what we try to do. Maybe I will die. Maybe I won't. I don't want to spend everyday dwelling on that fact. I just want to live."

"Everybody just wants to live," Buffy said, turning so that she could look at Faith, who was trying to avoid her gaze. "All of those girls down there want to live. But not all of them will."

"Do you ever think about what happens after everything?" Faith asked suddenly.

"I thought we were just talking about that?" Buffy replied with a question.

"No, not after the battle with the First, whenever that will be. I mean after all of _this_ – life. Do you ever think about what happens?" Faith asked again.

"You mean if I believe in Heaven and Hell?" Buffy said thoughtfully. "I've seen demons worse than anything I could have imagined. Things that I know came from Hell. We're sitting on top of it as we speak. So yes, I believe in Hell. I've seen it. If there's a Hell, then there has to be a Heaven. Besides, I kinda think I was there," Buffy answered.

"I don't know if I want to…believe, I mean," Faith said softly, staring out of the bedroom window at the rising moon.

"Why not?" Buffy asked, moving closer to her. Faith lifted her arm so that Buffy could rest her head on her chest and then dropped it around the older girl's shoulders.

"I'm afraid of where I'll end up," Faith admitted. "I've done terrible things. I don't know that all of the good deeds in the world could make up for the things that I've done."

"I didn't know that you believed in all of that. Sin and God and Satan," Buffy replied, looking up into Faith's distant, turbulent eyes.

"My mother was Catholic," Faith replied. "She used to take me to Mass every Sunday when I was little. I pretended to hate it, but really I was fascinated by everything – the mysticism of it. Wine into blood, bread into body. It was incredible." Faith paused, smiling a little. "We stopped going after a while," she resumed, her smile disappearing. "But all of the things that the priests said, they stuck in my head, you know?" She said, looking over at Buffy. "I can't get them out."

"You're a good person, Faith. You may have done some bad things, but there has to be a way back from that," Buffy replied insistently.

"Does there? Don't you think that there's a point when all of the good deeds in the world can't save you? Some things are just too bad," Faith said reflectively.

"We all have sins on our consciences, Faith. No one in this house is perfect. We've lied, we've cheated, we've stolen, and we've killed. Sometimes for noble causes, sometimes not. Sometimes just because we're vindictive or vengeful or angry. The world is full of people just trying to tip the scales back into good," Buffy said, reaching up and touching Faith's face. "Look at me, baby," she whispered.

Faith looked down at her, wondering at the depth of emotion that she saw swimming in the blonde's emerald eyes. "What?" She whispered back.

"I believe in you, Faith. I always will," Buffy replied, pressing her lips softly against Faith's. Faith let her eyes slip closed, capturing her tears before they fell, and lost herself in Buffy's kiss.

…………………………………

"I thought you said we'd be there by sunset," Wesley grumbled. "It's well past that now."

"I didn't exactly expect to blow a tire in the middle of nowhere," Xander replied moodily. "I just hope someone will let us in," he mumbled, walking up to Buffy's front door. Raising his fist, he knocked three times on the door and waited. He could hear movement in the house. Footsteps approached the door and then stopped.

"Who is it?" A petite voice yelled through the door.

"Dawn," Xander said, grinning as he looked over at Wesley.

"Yes, I nearly forgot I'd be inhabiting a house full of teenage girls. Remind me again why I decided to come here?"" He asked.

"To help save the world. It's good for the people," Xander replied. "It's me," he yelled through the door.

"What the secret code?" Dawn replied obstinately.

"Secret code?" Xander asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. "Since when has there been a secret code?"

The door swung open and Dawn greeted him with a brilliant smile that lit up her whole face. "There's no secret code. I was just messing with you," she replied, diving into Xander's open arms.

"Missed you, kiddo," he said.

"Where did you go away?" Dawn asked, pulling away to punch him as hard as she could on the arm, which did little damage, but he feigned pain for her sake. "Everyone's been so worried about you. Especially with the new guy in town."

"New guy?" Xander asked, stepping into the house with Wesley in tow.

"Caleb," Dawn replied. "He's some kind of preacher, or something. Working for the First though, so he can't really be all 'yay with God'," she said.

"Do we know anything about him?" Wesley asked.

"Do I know him?" Dawn whispered over to Xander. Xander smiled.

"That's Wesley," he said. "Faith's Watcher?"

"Oh, right. He looks different. Less dorky," Dawn said.

"Thanks," Wesley replied, rolling his eyes. "Back to my question?"

"No," Dawn said easily, leading them into the kitchen where Anya and Giles were sitting in a rather uncomfortable silence. "We don't know anything about him. Look who's back."

Anya glanced up, her eyes widening for a moment, before she launched herself out of her chair and into Xander's arms. "Where the hell were you?" She asked, hitting him considerably harder than Dawn on the same arm.

"Ow," he muttered, rubbing the sore spot. "I went to Los Angeles."

"And you didn't think it would be a good idea to call us?" Giles asked, smiling despite his irritation at the rash actions of the boy.

"I was kinda pissed," Xander replied, shrugging. "Besides, I brought back help, so you can't be too angry with me."

"Hello, Giles," Wesley said cordially. "I hope you don't mind my being here."

"Are you kidding?" Giles asked, rising to his feet and shaking his hand enthusiastically. "I've been the only Watcher in a house full of girls this whole time. I'm quite glad you're here."

"Good," Wes replied, smiling a little. He was still uncomfortable around most of the Scooby Gang. Though Faith had been the only one to physically hurt him, he knew their opinions of him. Sometimes words did cut just as deep as a knife. He had made some mistakes back then, just as Faith had, though his had not been fatal to anyone else. However, he felt the burden of those mistakes wearing him down as well. He had come back partially to redeem himself in the minds of his peers. As he shifted his weight to his other foot, glancing around the room nervously, he found himself wishing that Faith were there. At least hers was a familiar face with which he had already begun to develop a relationship.

"If you ever do that again…" Anya warned, glaring at Xander and folding her arms across her chest. Their relationship had been rocky at best since he left her standing at the altar, but Anya had to admit that she still loved him. Love was a funny thing, once it rooted itself, it never seemed to let go.

"I won't," Xander promised, gently kissing her forehead. "This is where I belong."

"So, do we have a plan?" Wes asked eagerly.

"Actually, we do," Giles replied. "Tomorrow…"

……………………..

"Why did I get stuck with you?" Hailey asked, glaring over at Andrew.

"Hey!" Andrew replied indignantly. "I'm not that bad."

"No, you wouldn't be…if you would just shut up every once in a while," Hailey grumbled. "So how did you learn to do all of this anyway?" She asked as she helped him install a camera in one of the cemeteries. Buffy had decided some time ago to set up surveillance around town, but the equipment Andrew ordered had only just arrived.

"The Internet," Andrew replied proudly.

"You know, I gotta say, I'm impressed. I could use a person like you down in Coyote Creek," Hailey said. "My job would be a whole lot easier if I had cameras monitoring the town."

"So you're planning on going back after all of this goes down?" Andrew asked, looking over at her.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Hailey asked, handing him a wire.

"What about Willow?" He replied, taking it from her and hooking it up to the camera.

Hailey sighed. "I hadn't thought about that. I didn't come here planning to stay. I just came to help."

"She's not going to be happy if you just leave," Andrew said. "I may not know too much about women, but I know that Willow's been hurt in the past. I had some part in that. She deserves better than to be hurt again," he said reflectively.

"I don't want to hurt her," Hailey said thoughtfully. "I just don't know if I can stay here. I had a life back there. Sure, it wasn't the best life in the world, but I had a purpose. I liked my job."

"You can hunt vampires here," Andrew offered.

Hailey flashed him a lopsided grin. "I know that. There's no end to the vampires here. But there are two Slayers here as well. There's no one back home to protect the people there. They only had me."

"Maybe it's time they learned to fend for themselves," Andrew suggested. Hailey sighed and sat down on one of the gravestones. She was slowly growing to love Willow, despite the fact that she had not loved anyone in a long time. She just did not know if that love would blossom into something that would make her stay in Sunnydale.

"What would you do?" Hailey asked.

"You really want to know?" Andrew asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Hailey replied.

"I would stay here. Willow's special," he said. "You aren't going to find someone like her again."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hailey admitted. "We done here?" She asked.

"Yeah," Andrew replied, moving away from the camera. It was camouflaged as rock on the ground. "Can you tell?"

"No," Hailey said, inspecting it. "It's flawless. You should really consider doing this professionally."

"Maybe I will," Andrew said, beaming. "Once the First is gone and all. No point in making plans when the world might end."

"Very true," Hailey agreed. "So having you around must be hard for her, huh?"

"What?" Andrew asked, looking over at Hailey as they walked out of the cemetery, heading to the next one where they were supposed to plant a camera.

"It must be hard for Willow, having you around if it reminds her of Tara," Hailey commented.

"I guess," Andrew said. "I mean, I'm not the one who killed Tara, but I could have stopped it. I should have known what Warren was doing. He was out of control."

"And you weren't?" Hailey asked.

"We all were," he replied. "But Jonathon and I were too scared to do anything. Warren was the one who instigated everything."

"And Jonathon's dead now," Hailey said.

"I killed him," Andrew admitted. "He was my only friend and I killed him. I'm sure it's hard for Willow to see me, but it's hard for me to see her too. She reminds me of everything I've lost."

"I guess it goes both ways then," Hailey said. "Who do you think this Caleb guy is?"

"I don't know," Andrew said. "Are you pumping me for information?" He asked, stopping and looking at her.

Hailey grinned. "Once a cop, always a cop," she replied. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Andrew said, resuming walking. "I want to help."

"I know," Hailey replied. "The others do too. Just give them time. You may find that you have more friends than you think."


	25. The Plan

Night Falls

Note: Thanks for the reviews and your patience. Keep them both coming.

Previously:

"It's okay," Andrew said, resuming walking. "I want to help."

"I know," Hailey replied. "The others do too. Just give them time. You may find that you have more friends than you think."

Chapter Twenty-Four:

"We've been monitoring the cameras we placed around town for a week now," Willow said, nervously standing in front of the group gathered in Buffy's living room with a shaking piece of paper in her hand. Buffy smiled. The sight reminded her of their high schools years together when Willow had not found her confidence yet. Many times Buffy had watched Willow shift to and fro on her feet in front of a bored and unappreciative classroom looking like she would have rather undergone the most painful surgery possible than give a presentation.

Hailey glanced out of the window, knowing that she should have been giving her girlfriend the support she needed to finish her speech, but unable to tear her eyes away from the outside world. She was starting to get restless. She did not know why, but she felt as though something were terribly wrong. Though she enjoyed the time she was able to spend with Willow, she was becoming frustrated with the lack of time they had been spending recently. More girls had arrived and it seemed that everywhere she stepped, a girl had taken up residence.

"And we've actually had some results," Willow continued. Hailey shifted her gaze back to the living room and glanced around. Xander and Anya were sitting unusually close, though she did not have much hope for their relationship. Love conquered many things, but Hailey was not certain that it could conquer such deep pain that still lingered between them. Her eyes shifted to Giles, who was cautiously sipping a hot cup of tea. Buffy and Faith were practically sitting in each other's laps, ignoring the angry and disparaging looks that Xander continually flashed them. Hailey smirked, wondering if Buffy had given into temptation yet, or if she was still keeping Faith at bay. Faith caught her eye and lifted an eyebrow in question, but Hailey simply shook her head.

"While we haven't seen Caleb, we have seen many Bringers," Willow said, confidence starting to fill her voice. Hailey looked at Kennedy, who was watching Willow was still lustful eyes. Hailey repressed a sigh and rolled her eyes. Kennedy knew her place in the proverbial food chain, but that did not stop the younger girl from appreciating what Willow had to offer. However, Hailey knew that if Kennedy kept butting the ceiling she would have to put her in her place.

"What do we know about Caleb?" Colleen interrupted.

"Well," Willow sputtered, losing her place in her speech.

"Nothing, really," Buffy replied for her friend.

"Shouldn't we be doing something about that?" Spike asked from his place in the corner of the room.

"Are you volunteering?" Buffy asked, looking over at him. Everyone followed suit and soon Spike found himself under the heated gaze of a room full of people.

"Do I have a choice?" He asked.

"Not really," Buffy replied. "Spike and Andrew, I want the two of you to research Caleb. Andrew, you're good with computers. Find something. Spike can be your muscle," Buffy instructed.

"Really?" Andrew asked in surprise.

"Someone said you wanted to help," Buffy replied seriously. "But you need to know that I have trust issues. Especially with people who have tried to kill me and my friends, but maybe you deserve a second chance." Faith looked down at the ground, knowing that whether Buffy knew it or not, she was talking about her. Faith also knew that Buffy trusted people much more before she met Faith than after. Sometimes she wondered how much she had screwed up Buffy's life. She would never fully know. Maybe that was why Buffy could not bring herself to become intimate with her because then she really would have to trust Faith.

"Willow? Please continue," Giles prodded, rubbing his temples. When he had become a Watcher, he had not anticipated being one of two Watchers for a house full of potential Slayers. He glanced over at Wesley and saw his partner Watcher giving him a sympathetic smile. Wesley had not been in Sunnydale long enough yet to lose all of his patience.

"Right," Willow said. "Anyway, based on our observations, we believe that we have come up with a plan." Hailey's eyes darted over to Willow. She did not know that Buffy and the others had come up with a plan already. She just knew that they had been watching the cameras carefully. She repressed a shudder. Caleb frightened her, but she did not know why. He was just another monster in a string of monsters. Perhaps it was because he portrayed himself as a preacher. She knew that it was not true, but she had always viewed preachers as holy men, who were untouched by evil. Yet, Caleb was working directly for the First Evil. He had killed many girls, if his encounter with the potential still in the hospital was any indication. If there was a scrap of good left in him, Hailey could not see it.

But then, no one had seen him. Even though they had cameras all over town, they had not spotted anyone who looked like a psychotic preacher. Yet, Caleb had to be in town somewhere. Finding out where was proving to be harder than they thought. "So what's the plan?" Faith asked sarcastically, looking over at Buffy in confusion. Hailey's eyebrows shot up. Faith did not even know about their supposed plan. Buffy shot her a look that was a mix of guilty puppy and a subtle warning not to pursue the argument in front of the girls.

"The Bringers are all that we're seeing," Buffy said. "So we go after them."

"How do we know we'll get anything from them?" Faith asked.

"We're Slayers," Buffy replied. "Violence is our specialty. They can only withstand so much."

Wesley flinched at the notion of torture, which Faith noticed. "Sorry, B, but I think you're on your own with this one," she said.

"What?" Buffy asked, looking over at her in shock. "I need your held here," she stressed.

"Maybe," Faith replied softly. "But I'm not going to torture anyone. I've come a long way from that, B. I don't want to go back."

Buffy mentally slapped herself. "Of course," she said. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you before."

"It's okay," Faith said, smiling casually.

"So that's the plan?" Hailey added. "Find a Bringer and make him talk?"

"Not exactly," Buffy said. "That's only part of it."

"What's the other part?" Kennedy asked eagerly.

"We've noticed that the Bringers are gathering around a central spot," Willow jumped in. "They seem to be flocking to the school."

"Really?" Dawn asked. "The school? And why can't I just stop going again?" She asked, glaring over at Buffy.

"It's important…somehow," Buffy replied weakly.

"Anyway," Willow continued, "we think they might have something there."

"You mean the something that belongs to us?" Hailey asked.

"Exactly," Buffy replied. "A team will go into the school to find out what they're hiding there. The seal isn't it. We've seen that. It's pretty and all, but it's not something you would gather an army around. There has to be something, or someone, else there."

"What do we think it is?" Kennedy asked.

"A potential maybe?" Buffy replied. "Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Caleb said he has something that belongs to us. Something that we want. I don't know what it is, but I'm eager to find out."

"And we have considered the possibility that all of this is just a trap, right?" Xander offered.

"I know," Buffy said. "But if he does have a girl, I can't just leave her there with him."

"Even if he does have one girl, is it really worth endangering a team of girls to rescue her?" Xander asked, knowing he would anger most of the people in the room.

"Before you argue back, Xander's right," Hailey interrupted. "I don't mean to sound callous, but one girl is just one girl. We don't know anything about Caleb."

"We know one thing," Buffy countered. "He's just one man."

"Buffy and I have discussed this at length," Willow said. "We know that it could be a trap. But we also have to start taking the offensive. As they say, the best defense is a good offense."

"And our offense has sucked so far," Buffy added. "It's time we start getting into the game."

"She's right," Kennedy jumped in. "I mean, what else are we training for?"

"Okay, so one team goes into the school to do some surveillance, another team captures a Bringer and tortures him into giving us information about Caleb," Hailey summarized.

"That's the plan," Buffy said, nodding.

"So who's on what team?" Faith asked.

"Faith, Kennedy, Willow, Colleen, Maria, Annabelle, Molly, and Vi are going to the school. We don't want you to engage. We just want you to look around, find out what they have there. The only way I want a fight is if they discover you or if you find a girl," Buffy instructed. "The rest of you will stay here with me. Spike and I will find a Bringer and kidnap him. We'll bring him back here and the questioning will begin. Faith, I want you to lead your team. Kennedy, you're her second in command."

"Cool," Kennedy said to herself.

"Willow, if things get rough, and I hate to ask you this, but I need you to be able to get them out of there if Faith can't," Buffy said.

Willow sighed deeply. "I'll do my best."

"Remember, the First wanted you to give up your magic for a reason," Hailey said softly. "It's afraid of you."

"Not as much as I'm afraid of it," Willow muttered under her breath.

"Is everyone clear on their roles?" Buffy asked. There was a universal nodding of heads. "Good…because we're doing this tonight."


	26. Fight Night

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews.

Previously:

"Faith, Kennedy, Willow, Colleen, Maria, Annabelle, Molly, and Vi are going to the school. We don't want you to engage. We just want you to look around, find out what they have there. The only way I want a fight is if they discover you or if you find a girl," Buffy instructed. "The rest of you will stay here with me. Spike and I will find a Bringer and kidnap him. We'll bring him back here and the questioning will begin. Faith, I want you to lead your team. Kennedy, you're her second in command."

Chapter Twenty-Five:

"Do you ever have a feeling…like things just aren't right? Like things are very suddenly and unexpectedly going to turn very wrong?" Dawn whispered, looking over at Hailey with pleading eyes.

"Sometimes," Hailey replied, looking away, unnerved. "Why?"

"I'm having one right now," Dawn said.

"It's just a feeling," Hailey answered.

"It wasn't just a feeling the night that you and Faith arrived," Dawn shot back. "I felt a shift in the energy. Something power was coming and I could feel it. Something more than just a Slayer."

"What do you feel now?" Hailey asked, intrigued.

"Darkness. It's like there's something black and oily running through my veins instead of blood. I can almost taste it," Dawn answered, her eyes far away. She shuddered.

"Maybe you're right, maybe something bad is going to happen tonight," Hailey replied. "We're spread pretty bloody thin. But Buffy will be back soon."

"Not soon enough," Dawn said matter-of-factly. Giles, having noticed their conversation in the midst of the silence that hung over the rest of the girls, moved over to the wall they were both leaning against.

"What is it?" He asked, looking earnestly at Dawn.

"She's feeling something," Hailey replied almost flippantly, but with enough sincerity to make Giles believe that she actually believed.

"What are you feeling?" Giles asked softly and patiently. Dawn looked up into his kind eyes and sighed.

"Something's going to go wrong," she said. "That's all I know. I just feel that something terrible is going to happen."

"To us?" Giles asked, ignoring the chill that ran up and down his back.

"Maybe," Dawn said, his eyes turning dark. "I think so."

"How does she know these things?" Hailey asked Giles.

"She's got thousands of years of mystical energy flowing through her. It's trying to protect itself. We don't know what will happen to it if Dawn were to die. I imagine that it doesn't know either," Giles replied. Turning to the rest of the girls, he said, "I don't want anyone to panic, but I believe that we should be prepared in case something were to happen before Buffy and Spike return. If you would, please take a weapon that you're familiar with." Giles pointed to the weapons chest on the opposite wall. The girls warily agreed, shuffling over to it. Buffy had left the girls least capable of fighting at the house. But she had also left Hailey in case something was to happen, they would not be totally unprotected.

"What's going on?" Anya asked, skipping the weapons line and moving over to the little group huddled around Dawn with Wesley and Xander. Wesley remained silent, his eyes hard. He was ready for battle. There had been a time when he would have balked at the prospect of fighting. But now he knew that he could fight and he could do it well.

Dawn suddenly moved forward, her eyes pressed to the window. "He's coming…now."

"Who?" Hailey asked, pulling a knife out of the waistband of her jeans.

Dawn shuddered and looked over at her with terrified eyes. "A preacher."

…………………………………

"You gonna tell me why Buffy didn't see fit to inform me about this brilliant plan?" Faith asked as she and Willow walked ahead of the other girls. Kennedy was trailing behind them, obviously listening to their conversation, but trying not to appear as if she were doing so.

"Probably because you wouldn't have liked it," Willow replied.

"She might have been right," Faith said. "The closer I get to the school, the more I feel like this is a trap."

"Me too," Willow said, sighing heavily. "Maybe we should turn around."

"And tell Buffy what? We pussied out at the last second?" Faith shot back.

"We'd never hear the end of it," Willow readily agreed.

"Besides, I've been wrong before," Faith said.

"You know, there was a time you wouldn't have admitted that," she responded with a smile in her voice.

"So how are you and Hailey doing?" Faith asked, swiftly changing the topic.

"Good," Willow replied evasively.

"You bumped nasties yet?" Faith said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Willow rolled her eyes.

"Have you and Buffy?" She asked, laughing as Faith glared over at her.

"Valid point," Faith replied.

"We're here," Willow said, pointing to the school. It loomed before them, a giant monolith in the dark. "You ready?"

Faith shuddered and glanced back over her shoulder wistfully at the warm, lit road behind them. "Yeah," she said, looking forward. It was a Slayer's job to go into places where normal people wouldn't go – to leave the light and enter the darkness. "Okay, people, remember…we're here to watch, not to fight." The girls nodded as Willow and Faith pushed forward. "Stay behind me, okay?" Faith said to Willow.

"Why?" Willow questioned.

"We don't know what's in there and I'm not taking the heat from Hailey for getting you killed," Faith replied.

"Is that you're way of saying you care?" Willow joked.

"It's the best you're going to get," Faith shot back.

"I hope you're a little more romantic with Buffy," Willow muttered.

"Hey," Faith argued, "I can turn on the charm when I need to."

"I've never seen it," Willow returned.

"That Seal thing is this way, right?" Faith grumbled, knowing that she would not win an argument with the redhead.

"Yep," Willow replied smugly.

"What's the deal?" Faith asked as they cautiously walked down the hallway towards the basement door. "There's no one around. I thought we'd have to knock some heads just to get down there."

"Maybe they're all at the Seal?" Willow suggested.

"We've been watching those cameras all week and, at night, those mother fuckers are all over this place," Faith replied warily.

"Why are we going so slow?" Kennedy asked, walking up to them.

"We don't want to get caught," Faith said.

"There's no one around. You just said that yourself," Kennedy shot back.

"Look, kid, back off. You want to run the missions, you become the Slayer," Faith replied, moving away from her.

"I think you just invited her to kill you in your sleep," Willow said, trying to catch up with Faith, who was now moving much faster, with less caution, but more confidence.

Faith shot her a look and opened the basement door. The stairs were dark and the group felt its way down. "This is kinda creepy," Faith admitted.

"Yeah," Willow agreed, fear evident in her voice. "Why did I have to be in this group?"

"You could be home right now snuggling with your girl," Faith joked.

"Yes, I could be," Willow replied seriously. "I think Hailey and I need some snuggling time."

"So things aren't so good then?" Faith asked.

"No, things are great. But sometimes I'm not so sure what's going on in her head," Willow replied as they walked through the underground passages beneath Sunnydale High. They came to a large, open room.

"Well, shit," Faith muttered, looking around the room with an impressed look on her face. "This is a lot of weapons."

"I guess this is why they're down here so much," Kennedy commented. The group filed into the room, girls wandering about, and touching the weapons.

"Should we take them?" Willow wondered aloud.

"Well, we can't leave them here," Faith muttered. "Something doesn't feel right though."

"Yeah, like why would they store all of these weapons here and then leave them unguarded?" Willow concurred.

"Hey, what's this?" Kennedy asked, kneeling down in front of a large, wooden box.

"Don't open that," Faith instructed, moving over to her quickly.

"Why not?" Kennedy asked.

"It could be a trap," Willow said, walking over as well.

"It could be something important too," Faith said, uncertainty filling her voice.

"What's that sound?" Willow asked, her brow furrowing as she concentrated on a small, clicking noise.

"I don't hear anything," Kennedy said, standing up and moving out of the way.

"I do," Faith agreed.

"Open the box, Faith," Willow instructed suddenly. Faith looked over at her for a moment before breaking the lock off of the box and opening the lid.

Her eyes widened as she said, "Oh, shit."

………………………………

"Yesterday, there were Bringers swarming all over the place. Where the hell are they now?" Buffy said angrily, throwing her hands in the air.

"I don't know, love. But getting upset about it isn't going to make one magically appear," Spike muttered, lighting up a cigarette.

"I do realize that, you know," Buffy shot back.

"I think this part of the plan's a wash for tonight. Maybe we should head back. We've been out here two hours already," Spike replied.

"I don't want to go home empty handed," Buffy said curtly.

"I don't think we have a choice," Spike responded softly.

"It's like they all knew that we were coming after them tonight," Buffy muttered to herself. Spike suddenly stopped walking, the cigarette dropping from his fingers. "What?" Buffy asked in concern, looking back at him.

"What if they did?" Spike asked. "What if they knew?"

"How could they?" Buffy retorted.

"We planted cameras. That's only one way to find out what someone's doing," Spike replied. "What if the First has been with us all along?"

"How do you mean?" Buffy replied, but she already knew, and feared that Spike was correct.

"You see that thing and it's like the person is standing right in front of you in the flesh. We get girls coming here everyday from God only knows where. How do we know one of them didn't die on the way and the First is just playing a part?" Spike asked.

"We don't," Buffy agreed. "The question is, if they know we're coming after them, what are they going to do to retaliate?"

"I'll go to the school," Spike said. "You go back home. Maybe we can stop whatever it is before it starts."

………………………………

The door burst open amid a spray of splinters. Everyone turned and watched as a single man walked into the living room. "You're late," one of the girls suddenly said and, just as quickly, everyone turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to make sure they were good and ready for me," Caleb said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Eve?" Hailey asked. "You know him?"

"Of course I know him, silly," Eve said, striding forward. "He's my champion."

"That's not Eve," Giles suddenly realized. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"I've been wondering that myself for a while now, actually," Eve said, smirking. "But I figured you would catch on sooner or later."

"She's the First," Anya said with dread.

"And she led the preacher right to us," Xander replied.

"You told him our plans," Dawn said, linking the final pieces of the puzzle together.

"Yes, she did," Caleb agreed. "Smart girl. I wouldn't worry too much about your friends now though. They're in a better place."

"What did you do?" Hailey asked, fearing that something might have happened to Willow.

"Nothing that I'll regret," Caleb replied. "Now, I came here tonight to show you the awesome power of true evil. You have the mighty gift of being the first people to see the great things that are to come."

"Wonderful," Dawn muttered under her breath. Hailey watched as the girls tightened their grips on their weapons. She smiled softly, knowing that none of them would run away in fear, as she supposed Caleb expected.

"If you came here to kill us, then get it over with because I'm sick of hearing you talk," Hailey said, stepping forward, holding her knife tightly in her hand.

"Patience is a virtue, young lady," Caleb admonished her. "But if you're so eager to get this over with, well, I suppose I can oblige you that request. Boys," he said, motioning towards the door. A stream of Bringers filed into the room, holding long, sharp knives. "Give the lady what she wants." The Bringers charged, but the girls held their ground. Hailey stepped out of the way as one of the blind monks attempted to lunge at her. Grabbing him from behind, she sliced her knife through his stomach. He fell to the ground and did not rise.

Wesley and Giles double teamed another Bringer, beating him back into a corner while Anya attempted to pull another off Xander, who was spinning around, smashing the monk's head into the wall. Two potentials fell in the first attack. Caleb watched from a distance, smiling at the carnage. Hailey knew that it was only a matter of time before he joined the fight. Fending off another Bringer, she threw her knife through the head of one who was about to stab Dawn.

"Thanks," Dawn muttered weakly, pulling the knife out of the man's head and using it to defend herself. Caleb watched with fascination.

"I think you should kill her," Eve said. "She could make this more difficult than it has to be."

"I agree," Caleb, replied, striding forward. Knocking a Bringer out of the way, he grabbed Hailey from behind, holding her tight against his chest. Hailey struggled in his grasp, her eyes widening when he pulled a knife and displayed it before her. "Now, I hate to say it, but this is going to hurt quite a bit." With all of his strength, Caleb slammed the knife into Hailey's chest.


	27. The Becoming

Night Falls

Previously:

"I think you should kill her," Eve said. "She could make this more difficult than it has to be."

"I agree," Caleb, replied, striding forward. Knocking a Bringer out of the way, he grabbed Hailey from behind, holding her tight against his chest. Hailey struggled in his grasp, her eyes widening when he pulled a knife and displayed it before her. "Now, I hate to say it, but this is going to hurt quite a bit." With all of his strength, Caleb slammed the knife into Hailey's chest.

Chapter Twenty-Six: 

"Get down now!" Faith yelled as she grabbed Willow by the neck and shoved her backwards. Just as suddenly as Willow had noticed the clicking, it stopped, and a massive explosion ripped through the basement of Sunnydale High. Faith was thrown forward by the blast. She landed on top of Willow, shielding her from the debris that fell from the ceiling. Fire shot in front of her eyes and she could smell burning flesh surrounding her. She struggled to rise, but a large chunk of rubble fell from above and slammed into the back of her head. The world abruptly went black and Faith slumped to the ground.

Underneath her, Willow struggled to breath through the smoke that was rapidly filling the room. Coughing violently, she attempted to roll the downed Slayer off of her body to no avail. "Help," she said harshly, her voice cracking, and the acid taste of smoke filling her mouth.

"I got you," Kennedy said, appearing through the haze. Lifting Faith underneath the arms, she gently placed the Slayer to the side. "Are you alright?"

"Is she?" Willow asked, shakily pulling herself into a kneeling position. Kennedy reached down and placed two fingers against Faith's neck. Her face paled.

"I can't feel a pulse," she said fearfully. "We have to do CPR."

"Move," Willow instructed, shifting across the floor. She knelt over Faith and breathed into her mouth. Pain shot through her body every time she moved, but she knew that she had to save the dark Slayer. Placing her hand on the center of Faith's chest, she pushed. She slowly counted in her hand, repeating her motions. "Still no pulse," she muttered to herself. "Come on, Faith. You can't leave us now. We need you here."

"Yeah," Kennedy chimed in. "You can't leave Buffy behind, not when you guys are just starting to work things out."

"Just breathe," Willow demanded, performing another set of compressions on her chest. "You never gave me the chance to truly forgive you. I _want_ that chance." Breathing into the Slayer's mouth again, Willow pushed down several more times before checking her pulse. "I think I can feel one," she said excitedly, looking up into Kenney's face with shining eyes.

"Let me check," Kennedy replied. Moving her hand to Faith's wrist, she closed her eyes and concentrated. "It's weak, but it's there," she concurred.

"She's breathing too," Willow said, resting her head on Faith's chest to feel its movement as her heart beat.

"Is anyone there?" A voice yelled through the darkness.

"Over here!" Willow replied. Colleen appeared out of the smoke, helping Maria stumble through the rubble. Vi staggered after them.

"Where are Annabelle and Molly?" Kennedy inquired.

"They're dead," Colleen said. "We're the only ones left."

"We have to get out of here," Willow said, glancing around the room. "Help me get her up."

Together, Willow and Kennedy lifted Faith between them and dragged her out of the room. The hallway had faired better in the explosion, but chunks of rubble lay scattered throughout it. The group hurriedly stumbled down the hallway, groping the walls, and trying to find their way in the dark. "Wait," Kennedy suddenly said, stopping in mid stride. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Willow asked. No sooner had the words left her mouth, she heard a low growling coming from behind them. "What is that?" She whispered fearfully.

Turning her head, Willow looked back and saw two sets of shining, yellow eyes glaring at them in the dark. "Vampires," Kennedy replied with dread.

"Run," Willow said lowly. The group dashed forward, Colleen barely supporting Maria as she limped through the hallway with amazing speed.

"We're not going to make it," Kennedy gritted through her teeth. The vampires were chasing them and they were rapidly gaining.

"We will," Willow replied.

"They're faster than us," Kennedy answered.

"Just have a little faith," Willow said, shifting her weight so that she could better support the unconscious Slayer.

"In what?" Kennedy shot back, sweat pouring off her face. Tiny fires had broken out everywhere. The room felt like a furnace and smoke obscured her vision. She felt her lungs burning, straining to breath clean air; but there was none.

"I don't know," Willow muttered. "We just have to keep moving."

……………………………..

Hailey could not breathe, she could not think, she could not do anything but bow before the pain that emanated from her chest. She could feel the cold, steel blade slicing through her and the warm blood flowing out from the wound. Caleb's arms were the only things holding her upright. He ripped the knife from her chest and she felt her legs weaken. She felt dizzy and nauseous, but too weak to act on either. She could feel Caleb's warm breath against the side of her neck. Then she was falling.

She landed hard on her knees, the impact jarring her so that she accidentally bit her tongue. Blood filled her mouth, some sliding down her throat, making her choke. She fell forward and caught herself with her palms. She knew that a fierce battle was raging around her, but she could not focus on anything. Blood was dripping through her shirt down on the carpet. She watched as it sank deeper and deeper into the fibers. Finally, a dark crimson spot had formed, slowly rippling out like water disturbed by a rock.

"Now I told you that would hurt, missy, but I suspect the words did not completely prepare you for the feeling. Like I said, it's an awesome power that I represent. That pain is just a little taste of what it stands for," Caleb said, smiling widely. Looking back at Eve, he winked. "How was that?"

"Perfect," Eve said. "Now finish off the rest."

Caleb moved away from her and the potentials scattered before him, dodging his thrusts with the knife. Dawn attempted to move over to Hailey, but he stepped in front of her. Diving out of the way, she barely missed being slashed. The muscles in Hailey's arms were starting to shake and she knew that she could not hold herself up for much longer. Already, she started to feel cold and the light seemed to dim in the room. She had expected her life to flash before he eyes, but it did not. All she felt was a cold, empty feeling of regret deep in the pit of her stomach.

That was when she felt it. A strong wind seemed to whip through the room. Her hands, which had begun to feel numbingly cold, suddenly warmed. The blood slowed and the pain subsided. The muscles in her arms stopped quivering and, though it was impossible, felt stronger. Hailey breathed in deeply, her vision clearing. Everything became extraordinarily vivid. The fibers of the carpet rubbed harshly against the palms of her hands to the extent that they almost pained her. She could smell her own blood thickly in her nostrils, as well as the blood of everyone else fighting. The sound of Caleb's knife slashing through the air reminded her of a great, predatory bird soaring through the sky.

Pushing herself backwards, she rested against her calves and lifted a cautious hand up to the wound on her chest. Caleb had stabbed her just below the heart. A fraction of an inch upward and she would have died instantly. "Bloody hell," Hailey whispered in shock as she reached through the torn fabric of her shirt and felt her wound. It was starting to close and she was starting to panic. She did not understand why she was not dead. She had felt her life slipping away from her only moments before and then everything stopped.

"Caleb," Eve suddenly said, her voice shrill. "I told you to kill her."

"What are you talking about?" Caleb asked, turning away from Anya, who he had cornered, and looking back at the First.

"The potential isn't dead," Eve replied, pointing to Hailey.

"Well, I'll be," Caleb said, quickly recovering from the shock of seeing Hailey looking up at him with a strange light in her eyes. "I'll just have to remedy that, won't I?"

Hailey watched as he approached, confidently twirling the knife in his hands. She felt a strength running through her that she had never felt before and, suddenly, she knew that she was more powerful than he. Rising to her feet, she caught Caleb's hand in the air as he plunged the knife down towards her again. "Something tells me that it's not going to be so easy this time," Hailey muttered, twisting Caleb's arm until she saw pain flash through his eyes and heard bones cracking.

He pushed her away, stumbling backwards as he clutched his broken arm. "What the hell," he murmured, looking over the First wildly. "What just happened?"

"It's time for us to go," the First replied evenly, anger flashing through its eyes as it disappeared. Caleb motioned for the Bringers to follow as he quickly retreated from the house. Hailey glanced around the living room. Five girls and seven Bringers were dead.

"Hailey," Giles said, approaching her cautiously. "Are you alright?"

Something tugged at the back of her mind. Warning bells were going off in her head. "What happened to me?" She asked, looking up at him uncertainly. "He stabbed me in the chest, Giles. I should be dead right now. What happened?"

"You're a Slayer," Dawn whispered. "You've become."

"That's not possible," Hailey replied, taking a step back. "I'm too old. I can't be called. They only call the young ones."

"Not anymore," Wesley replied, smiling softly. "Perhaps you should take a seat."

"No, not right now," Hailey replied, turning away and running a hand through her tousled hair. "If I'm a Slayer…," she trailed off, seeing the knowing look in Dawn's eyes.

"Then Buffy or Faith is dead," Dawn finished.

"Faith," Hailey whispered. The prophecy had said that the dark Slayer would die and that a third would be called. But if Faith had died, it meant that the group doing recon at the high school had encountered trouble. "Willow," Hailey murmured, her eyes widening. Turning, she ran through the living room and out of the front door, bolting into the night. She could hear the others calling after her in concern, but she did not stop. She knew that Willow was in trouble, she only hoped that she could reach her in time.

……………………………….

"Bugger," Spike said as he skidded to a stop in front of the high school. Flames were shooting out of the first floor windows and smoke billowed from the ones that had burst under the pressure of the heat. His heightened senses alerted him to the fact that there were two vampires inside. But they also told him that there were six humans, two of whom were badly injured. If there were only six, than two had died.

"What happened?" A voice behind him asked. Spike jumped in fear and surprise, but quickly recovered, and kicked at the ground a bit disgruntled before he noticed to whom he was talking.

"Hailey?" He asked, shaking his head and wiping at his eyes to ensure that they were not playing tricks on him. "What are you doing here?" He asked. Then he noticed the dark patch of blood staining the entirety of the front of her shirt. "Jesus, what happened to you?"

"Is there anyone alive inside?" Hailey asked, moving passed him.

"Yeah, but you can't go in there," Spike argued, walking swiftly after her.

"Why not?" Hailey replied amusedly.

"Because it's not even safe for me to go in there and you're just a potential," Spike responded.

Hailey stopped walking and looked over at him sadly for a moment. Then she smiled softly. "Not anymore," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Spike replied in confusion.

"I'm not a potential anymore," Hailey answered slowly. "Now are you going to help me or not?"

Hailey did not wait for Spike to respond. Smashing open the side entrance doors of the school, she covered her nose and mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. Smoke was pouring through the hallways and stung her eyes. For a brief, terrifying moment, she felt as though she were back at the Watcher's Council headquarters just as the bomb had gone off. The moment passed and she rushed forward. Something in her blood was calling to her, urging her forward, through the rubble, towards a door near the end of the hallway. Vaguely she was aware of Spike following closely behind her.

The door burst open just as they reached it and Kennedy stumbled out, Faith landing on top of her. Maria, Colleen, and Vi poured out next with Willow following after them. Two vampires burst through the doorframe. One of them grabbed Willow, bared her neck, and plunged his fangs into her flesh. Hailey's eyes hardened and she strode forward. Ripping the vampire away from the red haired witch, she grabbed him by the throat, lifting him several inches off the ground.

"That was just about the stupidest thing you could have done," she said as she twisted his neck until his spinal cord disconnected from his brain stem and he burst into a cloud of dust. "Get the others out of here," Hailey instructed, looking back at Spike as the second vampire took off down the opposite hallway. He nodded, at a loss for words, and picked up Faith, carrying her out of the school as the others followed closely behind. Hailey kneeled down and scooped Willow off the ground. Her girlfriend had lost consciousness, either from the vampire bite, or smoke inhalation. Hailey cradled her head against her chest and followed Spike out into the clear, cool night air.

The girls were sprawled on the grass, breathing deeply, and looking as if they had survived a war. "We need to get them home," Spike said, "have Giles take a look at these two." He motioned to Faith and Willow.

Hailey nodded and looked down at the girl lying in her arms. She looked so fragile. The gentle rise and fall of her chest was the only thing that told Hailey that she was still alive. Her cheeks were pale, but covered in dirt and grime. Tiny pieces of rubble clung to her hair. But Hailey thought that she had never looked more beautiful. The girls stirred, rising to their feet. Colleen slung her arm around Maria and helped her limp out onto the street. The two had become fast friends. Hailey trailed behind everyone, more uncertain of her future now than she had been before. She was a Slayer. She smiled a little and shifted Willow in her arms. Her chest was starting to throb now that the adrenaline of the fight was wearing off. Whenever she breathed, sharp pains shot through her. Despite the pain, she knew that she was lucky. After all, she was alive.


	28. Chaos

Night Falls

Notes: To RockerWolfPup, and anyone else wondering about a third part of the Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow series, I do plan to continue the story, perhaps after I finish this one. I have a couple of ideas. The one I'm leaning towards the most, because it would be most fun creatively, is a sort of Shakespearean tragedy. I'm not sure that would be a crowd pleaser, but it's the direction I think I'm going to go. Anyway, just keep waiting patiently; it will come.

Previously:

Pushing herself backwards, she rested against her calves and lifted a cautious hand up to the wound on her chest. Caleb had stabbed her just below the heart. A fraction of an inch upward and she would have died instantly. "Bloody hell," Hailey whispered in shock as she reached through the torn fabric of her shirt and felt her wound. It was starting to close and she was starting to panic. She did not understand why she was not dead. She had felt her life slipping away from her only moments before and then everything stopped.

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

Chaos. They had arrived back at the Summers' residence to pure and absolute chaos. The front door hung limply off its hinges, where Caleb had demolished it. Hailey felt splinters jabbing into the bottoms of her boots as she walked. Spike was carrying Faith and she was carrying Willow. Both women were still unconscious. The rest of the Potentials, who had survived the explosion, were trailing behind them miserably. When they entered the living room, the chaos suddenly stopped. All eyes turned to stare at them in a mixture of shock and sadness, but Hailey only saw two emerald eyes that filled with tears, blinked them away, and hardened.

"What happened?" Buffy asked in a low growl.

"There was an explosion, love," Spike answered softly and carefully.

"Two girls died," Hailey added. Several pairs of eyes shifted downward as everyone noticed those who did not return.

"What were you doing there?" Buffy accusatorially asked as she turned to Hailey.

"That was what we were trying to explain," Giles cut in, only to have Buffy wave him off.

Hailey regarded the other Slayer with cool eyes. Buffy was obviously upset about Faith, but she apparently did not know how to express her anger. The blonde girl seemed to be directing her rage towards Hailey, who was uncertain what she had done to warrant such an attack. "I told you to stay here. I needed you to protect them," Buffy continued, motioning towards the bloody, battered Potentials sprawled about the room, receiving various stages of medical treatment from Xander and Anya.

"Buffy," Dawn warned.

"Where were you?" Buffy demanded again.

"Do you really want to argue about this right now?" Hailey shot back angrily. "Why don't you worry about your unconscious girlfriend, rather than bitching me out about not following your orders. She died for a second there, you know," she said heatedly. Buffy blanched.

"She died?" She asked weakly.

"And she needs medical treatment," Spike added. "So does the witch. Where should we put them?"

"Put them upstairs," Giles commanded. A stifling silence filled the room as Hailey failed to move. Finally, she nodded and led the way up the stairs as she carried Willow to their bedroom. Spike continued down the hallway and deposited Faith in Buffy's bed.

"What is no one telling me?" Buffy asked as she followed after them with Giles, Wesley, and Dawn trailing behind.

"Caleb broke into the house," Dawn explained. "He brought an army of Bringers. They attacked us."

"Hailey was here, the entire time," Wesley added. "She stood up to him. She fought them."

"And he stabbed her in the chest," Dawn said, shuddering at the memory of watching Hailey's blood spilling from her body and staining the carpet a dark red. The stain was still there.

"But she didn't die," Giles continued. "In fact, she got stronger."

"She became a Slayer," Wesley finished.

"And you might think about thanking her," Spike added, walking towards them. "She saved Willow's life."

Buffy peered into Willow's bedroom. Hailey had placed her on the bed and knelt down beside it. She gently reached up and brushed a strand of the witch's red hair from her pale face. "You're gonna be okay," she whispered lowly, smiling softly and intimately.

"How is she?" Buffy asked, sorry to interrupt the moment, yet oddly devoid of emotion.

"I don't know," Hailey replied helplessly, but sarcastically added, "I'm not a doctor."

"Maybe we should take them to a hospital," Dawn suggested.

"They wouldn't be safe there," Buffy replied dismissively.

"How do we know that anyone is really safe here?" Dawn asked. "This is the second time we've been attacked in the house."

"Let us take a look at them," Giles interrupted, motioning for Wesley. "We'll see what we can do."

Hailey nodded and stood, preparing to move out of the way, but Wesley caught her arm. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, smiling crookedly. "You may be feeling like the strongest thing in the world right now…"

"But I'll crash," Hailey acknowledged with a weary sigh. "I think I already am."

"Take off your shirt," Wesley prompted. Hailey shot him a look. Rolling his eyes, he furthered, "I want to see the wound."

"Oh," Hailey smiled sheepishly and gingerly lifted her shirt. Pain shot through her chest and, for a moment, she could not breathe. The others looked away. Buffy left the room, disappearing down the hallway as Spike pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and vanished. Giles moved over to Willow, instructing Dawn to find the medical supplies. Hailey sat at the foot of the bed as Wesley inspected her wound.

"How does it look?" She asked, glancing at Wesley's face, which was as unreadable as a stone. Finally, he looked up at her and his eyes were soft.

"Remarkably well," he replied, "all things considered."

"It hurts like a bitch," Hailey muttered.

"I imagine that it will, for a few days anyway," Wesley commented. "But it's already healing. Fast. Much faster than I would have thought."

"So I'm good to go?" Hailey asked in surprise.

"Take it easy," Wesley instructed seriously. "But yes, if you don't over extend yourself and break open the wound again, you're good to go," he affirmed.

"How about her?" Hailey wondered, looking over at her girlfriend with concern.

"I couldn't tell you," Wesley answered sympathetically. "I'm going to check on Faith."

Hailey slowly put her shirt back on, grimacing when she lifted her arms. She felt as though she was sinking to the bottom of the ocean with a lead weight attached to her feet. Yet, she had never felt more alive. Her senses were hyper-alert. The single lamp lighting the room glowed harshly like a desert sun to Hailey's eyes. She could smell Willow's blood, dribbling in a small line down her neck from the vampire bite, and it made her feel sick. Closing her eyes, she leaned her elbows on her knees, and rubbed her temples.

"Are you alright?" Dawn asked concernedly as she walked by.

Her words echoed in Hailey's ears. Weakly, she nodded. She shakily rose to her feet and stumbled into the hallway bathroom. Collapsing in front of the toilet, she vomited into the bowl. When she had finished, she leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily. She was a Slayer. She had become. After years of anxiously waiting for her destiny to be actualized, and after years of bitter disappointment, destiny had finally crashed into her. Her father would have been so proud.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard ragged, forced breaths coming from Willow's room. Jumping to her feet, she rushed into the room. Willow was sitting up in the bed, her eyes wide with fear. "You have to calm down, Willow," Giles pleaded.

"What's wrong?" Hailey asked anxiously.

"She can't breathe," Dawn replied.

"She needs an inhaler…the smoke," Giles said suddenly. "Hailey…"

"I got it," Hailey said, nodding. Willow's scared eyes locked onto hers and she felt her heart break.

"Go!" Dawn said eagerly. Hailey snapped into action and ran from the room. Willow watched her curiously as she left, breathing into a brown, paper bag that Dawn had thrust into her hands. Her heart was pounding and her lungs felt as if they were on fire.

"Deep breaths," Giles instructed patiently.

"What…," Willow attempted to say. Closing her eyes, she focused, regaining her breath enough to speak. "What…happened…to her?" She asked. "The blood…"

"Caleb stabbed her in the chest," Dawn slipped out before she could stop herself.

"What?" Willow demanded in panic.

"She's alright," Giles reassured her.

"But how?" Willow asked in astonishment.

"Faith momentarily died in the explosion," Giles answered.

"Kennedy?" Willow asked.

"No," Dawn said, shaking her head. "Hailey was called."

"I thought that wasn't possible," Willow stated.

"It shouldn't have been," Giles acknowledged. "No one as old as Hailey has ever been called."

"The Powers are taking a stand," Willow murmured into the bag.

"How do you feel?" Giles asked, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Willow smiled feebly. "Better."

………………………………

Hailey glanced up and down the hospital corridor. It was empty. A feeling of dejavu swept over her. She had broken into a hospital's medicine room before, but that had been to steal drugs. Kicking open the medicine room door, she walked inside. The lights were off, but she could see as if they were all shining brightly. "The painkillers are over here," a voice said. "That's what you want, isn't it junkie?"

Hailey stopped and turned, looking back at the face of her dead girlfriend. Sighing, she smiled, "I know you're not really Tanya," she said.

"Can't you just pretend?" The First asked, stepping closer. Hailey took in the woman standing before her. She looked exactly like Tanya. The First had her wearing a tight, red tank top that accentuated her generous breasts and a short skirt that revealed her long, tanned legs. Her jet-black, dyed hair was swept back in a loose bun. A flash of desire swept through Hailey.

"Just for a little while," she acquiesced.

"You look so tired, baby," Tanya purred. She stopped walking when she was standing only inches from Hailey. For a moment, Hailey imagined that she could reach out and touch her. But she knew that her hand would pass through her skin.

"I am," Hailey admitted.

"I wish I could help you," Tanya said. "But no one can help you now. You're beyond reach."

"What do you mean?" Hailey asked.

"You're a Slayer now. Don't you understand what that means? It's all death and blood and pain for you. You'll never have another moment of peace for the rest of your life. By the end, you'll be wishing that someone would just kill you and give you a moment of sweet release," the First said, circling Hailey predatorily, but subtly.

"What makes you think I don't wish for that now?" Hailey asked, smiling sadly at her. "That's all I've ever wanted since you died. Maybe even before that."

"Than why do you try to so hard to live?" Tanya asked.

"That's what a Slayer does," Hailey replied.

"You want release, you know how to find it," Tanya prompted.

"Tanya wouldn't encourage me to go back," Hailey said.

"No?" The First replied. "I recall shooting you up myself on more than one occasion."

"Leave me alone," Hailey demanded wearily.

"What if I don't?" Tanya asked.

"You only have power over me so long as I allow you to," Hailey said. "It was nice pretending…if only for a moment," she whispered, letting her eyes linger over Tanya's face before she turned to look for the inhalers Willow needed. She located them and grabbed a handful. When she turned around, the room was empty, and she was alone.

………………………..

"Is she going to wake up?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Wesley replied. He was examining a wound on Faith's head. "With her history, I'm worried."

"What do you mean?" Buffy said, stepping closer. She had been standing in the doorway of the room, her arms folded across her chest, gazing at Faith worriedly. However, every time Wesley turned to look at her, her face went blank.

"The last time she injured her head, she was in a coma for eight months. Falling off a roof, blunt force trauma by a piece of rubble, it's all the same thing really," he explained. "If she doesn't wake up soon, she might not wake up at all."

"She can't die," Buffy whispered.

"Yes, she can," Wesley replied steadily. "She's not a god, Buffy. She's just a person in the end. No person can survive too many wounds of this magnitude."

"You don't understand," Buffy continued.

"No," Wesley interrupted. "I do. You know, if I couldn't hear it in your voice, I would think you didn't give a shit about her."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy said angrily.

"You're standing all the way back there like if you touch her, she'll shock you. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," Buffy replied flippantly.

"Why did you yell at Hailey when she came in? You clearly saw that Faith was hurt, yet, you didn't rush over to her. You didn't try to help her. Why are you even with her?" Wesley demanded.

"I love her!" Buffy yelled.

"Do you?" Wesley yelled back, leaping to his feet. "Why don't you show her then?"

"I can't," Buffy whispered, tears straining to break free from her eyes.

"Why not?" Wesley asked, sighing wearily.

"I…," Buffy hesitated.

"You can say it," Wesley prompted. "It's alright."'

"I'm afraid," Buffy finally admitted. "I'm afraid to let her in like that again."

"You think she'll hurt you," Wesley stated. Buffy nodded, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. "There's not much I know about Faith, but I do know this. She loves you and she'll do anything for you. She's not going to hurt you again."

"How can I know that?" Buffy pleaded.

"You can't," Wesley stated. "You just have to trust her."


	29. Light and Dark

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"I can't," Buffy whispered, tears straining to break free from her eyes.

"Why not?" Wesley asked, sighing wearily.

"I…," Buffy hesitated.

"You can say it," Wesley prompted. "It's alright."'

"I'm afraid," Buffy finally admitted. "I'm afraid to let her in like that again."

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

The room was dark, save for the light of a single candle that burned earnestly and intensely. The flame flickered from the breeze coming in through the opened window, creating dancing shadows that flitted across the blackened walls. The lonely sound of midnight traffic meandered in and settled in Buffy's ears. She sat on a chair by the side of her bed and held Faith's limp, cold hand in her own. Emotions tumbled through her like an avalanche, but her face remained impassive and stoic. She had to be a leader. She had to be strong. The last thing in the world the Potentials needed was to see their leader have an emotional breakdown. But that was exactly what she wanted to do at that moment. She felt like crying until her tears would not come anymore – until she had dried every ocean in the world. But she did not.

Shadows danced across Faith's face in a symphony of light and dark. It was rather poetic. Faith was light and Faith was dark. Both halves of the coin lingered somewhere in her soul. When Buffy had first met her, all she could see was the darkness oozing from her stormy, brown eyes. But now Buffy could see something different. The light had taken control and her eyes seemed to sparkle more. There was hope in her face, even though she had nothing for which to hope. Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. She was tired. The rest of the house was asleep, as far as she was aware. The night had gone terribly wrong, but they had survived.

She stopped herself from thinking about the girls who had not survived. Two bodies lay in a pile of rubble at Sunnydale High. Several more lay in a row in the backyard, waiting to be buried with the first light of day. A new sound filled Buffy's ears as it softly began to rain. The sound of raindrops hitting the roof comforted her. It was as if the sky was crying for her. Opening her eyes, she leaned forward and gazed into Faith's face. Wesley had patched the wound on her head, but he did not know when she would wake up. Several bruises marred her beauty, but Buffy knew they would fade. They always did; even if the memory of them lingered on. The body did not forget all of the wounds it received. It never forgot, no matter how much time passed.

"I look like shit, don't I?" A voice said in the darkness. Buffy jumped, startled.

"Who's there?" She asked, squinting her eyes to see as a person approached her.

"Don't you recognize me?" The First asked, stepping into the candlelight and wearing Faith's face. "You should. You wake up next to me every morning. Isn't that romantic," she said sarcastically.

"You're not Faith," Buffy growled angrily. "You have no right to pretend to be."

"Oh, I have every right, B. I died, remember? That puts me in a whole different category," the First replied.

"You're the one who did this to her. Get out!" Buffy said harshly, rising to her feet.

"Well, that's very chivalrous of you, but please, B, you don't have to stand up," Faith said, throwing up her hands and laughing. "And technically, I'm not the one who did this. One of the Bringers did. Not me."

"Technicalities," Buffy retorted. "I don't want you in my home."

"Now are you talking about the First or are you talking about Faith because it could really go either way," Faith replied. "But let's not fight, baby, I know plenty of better things we could be doing with our time," she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Buffy turned away disgustedly. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. We're not having sex are we?"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Buffy asked, sinking back into her chair. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Don't you know, B? Why I've always tormented you? Way back in the day when you thought I was stealing all of your friends and _I_ let you? Way back in the day when I tried to steal your boyfriend and _you_ let me? I've always done it because I can," Faith sneered.

Buffy leaned forward and squeezed her Faith's hand harder. "Don't worry, baby, I won't let it hurt you again," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite hear you," the First said laughing. "It's not like you can stop me. You've proven that well enough." Buffy looked up to see the First morphing into another body. This time a woman in her thirties stood before her with stringy, black hair, and hollow eyes. "Faithy always liked big ka-booms, didn't you, my little firecracker?" The woman asked, leaning over Faith as she lay unconscious in the bed.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"She'd never tell you, would she? She's ashamed of me. Of where she comes from," the woman said.

"You're her mother," Buffy said suddenly.

"Why aren't you a smart one," the woman replied sarcastically. "You look out for her now, you hear? She's a mean little bitch. There's something wrong in her head, you know," the woman said, pointing at her temple with her index finger.

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" Buffy asked.

"What goes around comes around, kid. She _is_ her mother's daughter, after all," the woman replied and then disappeared in a flash of light.

"What the hell," Buffy muttered to herself and shook her head. Looking back at Faith, she reached out and gently caressed the side of her girlfriend's face. "I need you to wake up now, baby. I know that I wasn't ready…for us, before. But I am now. I want you. I _need_ you," Buffy said, hoping her words would rouse Faith from her slumber. But Faith remained motionless and asleep.

……………………………………

Willow reached out with a hesitating and shaking hand. "Are you sure it's okay?" She asked, almost pulling her hand back. Hailey smiled softly.

"It's not going to hurt," she replied.

"Are you sure though?" Willow prodded.

"It's almost completely healed, Will. I'm fine," Hailey answered. Willow smiled and nodded. Reaching her hand forward again, she gently brushed her fingertips across the skin of Hailey's chest, under which her heart beat. The skin was broken and bruised around the spot the knife had entered her body, but the wound was already starting to knit itself back together.

"That's amazing," Willow muttered to herself, allowing her fingers to brush over what should have been the mortal wound that killed her girlfriend. The thought caused tears to well up in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Hailey asked, reaching down and taking Willow's hand in her own.

"You could have died tonight. You should have died tonight," Willow said, her tears spilling freely. "And I would never have gotten the chance to say all of the things that I wanted to say."

"I'm still here," Hailey reassured her. "And I'm not going anywhere. You still have plenty of time."

Willow did not hear her. "You make me so happy in so many ways, baby. I never thought that I would be happy again. There's so many times I've wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't. I couldn't get the words to pass through my lips. I don't know why. I wish I had told you before because if he had stabbed you one second sooner, you'd be dead," Willow rambled in panic.

"Told me what?" Hailey asked in confusion. Willow suddenly stopped talking and looked up at her with, wide, fearful eyes. Hailey smiled. "It's okay. Whatever you were going to tell me, you don't have to."

"No, I do have to," Willow said. "That's just the point. I have to say it."

"So then say it," Hailey prompted.

"I love you," Willow blurted out and instantly reddened from embarrassment. Hailey gazed at her with a mixture of shock and wonder crossing her face. "Are you going to say anything? Anything at all?" Willow asked awkwardly as Hailey remained silent.

"I think I love you too," she whispered softly, looking down at the bed. She and Willow were lying side-by-side facing each other. She felt Willow scoot closer.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Willow murmured.

"I don't mean it like that," Hailey quickly said. "It's just, it's been a long time since I've ever really loved anyone."

"It's okay, you know," Willow replied. "It's scary, but it's okay."

Hailey grinned. "I thought I was supposed to be comforting you," she said.

"I think there's some mutual comforting going on here," Willow responded with a goofy smile.

"I love you, Will," Hailey said, cupping the side of the witch's face and staring into her eyes intensely. "In every good way there is." Willow could not stop a single tear from escaping her eyes as Hailey spoke. Leaning into her girlfriend's chest, she closed her eyes and let her body relax.

"I'm so tired," Willow murmured as she felt herself slowly beginning to drift to sleep.

"Go to sleep," Hailey whispered and closed her eyes.

…………………………….

Hailey's eyes shot open suddenly. She was standing in a barren desert on top of a high, steep cliff. A fierce wind whipped through her hair. It was almost deafening and it almost pushed her over the edge. Looking down, she shuddered when she saw the jagged rocks below, which would certainly kill her, were she to fall from the cliff. The landscape changed dramatically at the bottom. Fertile fields and groves of fruit trees lined the ground below in organized rows. A river receded into the distance, disappearing at the horizon. Vaguely, Hailey heard soft, footsteps padding up to her.

"This is where it all began," a woman said. Hailey looked over her shoulder and saw a beautiful blonde woman with caring eyes standing behind her.

"Where what began?" She asked. The woman smiled and began to walk away. Hailey followed her away from the edge of the cliff, which frightened her, and further into the desert, which was oddly comforting. The sun had burned everything on the ground – a cruel, astral taskmaster. "Where are you going?" Hailey asked, struggling to catch up with her.

"This is where all life began," the woman furthered. Hailey stopped walking abruptly and glanced around at the nothingness and barrenness that surrounded her.

"How did life begin here?" She asked. "It's empty." The woman smiled patiently, as an omniscient teacher would when waiting for her pupil to grasp a simple, yet complex idea.

"Everything changes," the woman finally explained. "What once was is no longer. The desert you see here used to be a fertile plain."

"Like the one back there…" Hailey said, turning to look back at the edge of the cliff, only to discover that the desert now stretched on eternally in all directions.

"There's nothing back there," the woman said cryptically and moved on. "What you are lies ahead now."

"What I am?" Hailey asked, again struggling to match the woman's pace.

"Go on," she urged, motioning for Hailey to walk ahead of her. "There's much you have to see yet." Hailey followed the woman's pointed finger, which stretched north towards the sun, and followed it. The sand began to harden, as if footsteps had packed it into a compact and smooth surface. Through the haze of the heat rising from the ground, Hailey saw shapes begin to form. Jagged teeth arose from the sand, marring the horizon. She stopped walking.

"What is this place?" She asked confusedly.

"A graveyard," the woman replied.

"For who?" Hailey asked.

"People like you," the woman answered.

"Slayers," Hailey murmured.

"Yes," the woman replied. "This is your final resting place. This is where Slayers go when they die."

"To a desert?" Hailey wondered incredulously.

"Back to the beginning," the woman clarified.

Hailey gazed in wonder at the thousands of simple, stone markers that lay scattered through the sand. "They're all unmarked," she noticed. "Why aren't there names on them?"

"You have no name," the woman replied. "You are a part of an eternal, infinite power. That is all."

"I don't understand," Hailey said. "Why are you showing me all of this death?"

"Death is your gift," she replied sadly.

"Death is my gift?" Hailey repeated. Suddenly, she understood. She had understood for a very long time. Death was not her gift to give to others. It was the gift that the Powers that Be rewarded every Slayer when her time had been spent. It was the gift of rest and peace. "I understand now," Hailey said, looking over at the blonde woman. Something struck her as she gazed into the other woman's eyes. "You look familiar."

"We share a great love," the woman said kindly. "Wake up,"


	30. Changes

Night Falls

Previously:

"Death is my gift?" Hailey repeated. Suddenly, she understood. She had understood for a very long time. Death was not her gift to give to others. It was the gift that the Powers that Be rewarded every Slayer when her time had been spent. It was the gift of rest and peace. "I understand now," Hailey said, looking over at the blonde woman.

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

Hailey lay in bed staring up at the perfectly white ceiling. On the nightstand beside her, she could hear the alarm clock ticking away the seconds. The movement of the mechanical arm sounded like the beat of a drum in her ears. She wondered how Buffy and Faith had gotten used to the sudden change. It was like the world had exploded into color over night. Willow had been up for hours. Hailey had pretended to be asleep while the red head snuck quietly from the room to take a shower. Even though the bathroom was down the hallway, Hailey could smell the tangy citrus scent of her girlfriend's shampoo wafting in the air.

She knew that she would have to get up soon. The sun was steadily crawling across the sky, light cascading in through the window onto the dark comforter. The light was creeping up her body. She watched it with fascination. Millions of tiny dust particles lingered in the air, revealed for an instant before the light moved on and they were cast back in shadow. The house was starting to fill with the sounds of girls waking up and preparing for the day's training. She could hear them whispering. She could practically read their thoughts. _Except for Maria's_, she thought wryly,_ they're all still in Spanish_.

She could feel the slow burn of Kennedy as she sat down at the breakfast table. She could picture the younger girl avoiding the inquiring gazes of her peers; all of whom had believed that she would be called. They would be whispering about her too – whispers of disbelief and wonder. Hailey did not understand it herself. Why had she been called? The Powers always chose younger girls to carry on the tradition because they lasted longer. She was by no means old, but prior to her calling, she could feel the passage of time weighing on her. Now she felt as though every cell in her body was humming and crashing into the next. It was almost unbearable.

"You ever going to get up?" Willow asked, suddenly popping back into the room. Hailey nearly jumped in surprise, but simply smiled.

"Wasn't planning to," she responded.

"You're going to have to lead the training today," Willow replied seriously. "I have a feeling Buffy isn't going to leave Faith's side until she wakes up."

"How is she?" Hailey asked in concern.

"Still unconscious," Willow said, "If you mean Faith. I really don't know how Buffy's doing. It's been a while since she's really let me in."

"How am I supposed to lead them?" Hailey wondered idly. "I was one of them yesterday. Why should they listen to me?"

"You're a Slayer now," Willow replied.

"So that's just the answer to everything? All of the sudden I'm a Slayer and everyone is supposed to follow me? I don't know where to lead them," Hailey said softly.

Willow smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her girlfriend. Reaching over, she absently brushed her hand through Hailey's dark, tangled locks. "It's all going to be strange and new at first. But you'll get the hang of it," she said reassuringly. "And you'll have Buffy and Faith to back you up."

"How exactly does one lead the training anyway?" Hailey asked as Willow guided her off the bed and gave her a gentle push into the hallway.

"I have absolutely no idea," she replied laughingly. "Like I said, you'll figure it out."

……………………………..

"Three Slayers," Caleb muttered. "You do realize that the symbolic significance of three Slayers is overwhelming don't you?" He asked, turning to the manifestation of the First.

"How so?" It asked. Once again, it appeared to him with the face of Buffy Summers.

"The Trinity is composed of three facets of one God. You could almost look to them as a sort of righteous trinity in themselves," Caleb postulated. "Three girls all representative of the same power. It's exciting."

"And dangerous," the First warned.

"Of course we weren't anticipating this," Caleb continued. "Seeing the new girl was quite a shock and I am heartily embarrassed at my behavior. I should have been able to dispose of her."

"Yes," the First said, then smiled. "But we all make mistakes. I know that you'll correct yours."

"Absolutely," Caleb replied with conviction. "That is my utmost of intentions. She simply took me by surprise is all. She's not any stronger or faster than the other Slayers."

"Sounds like you're making excuses," the First pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Caleb chuckled and nodded.

"Perhaps I am," he admitted. "But I'll only have to make them once. I believe that it's time to start assembling our army. It will take time…getting all of our soldiers ready…but it will be beautiful," Caleb said grinning.

"What will you need?" The First asked.

"Sacrifices," Caleb replied thoughtfully. "The blood of sacrifices."

…………………………..

"The most important thing of all is maintaining control," Spike advised. "They're going to want to test their limits…your limits. Especially Kennedy now that you're the new Slayer and she's not. But you have to remember that you're much stronger than the rest of them."

"I could hurt them easily," Hailey acknowledged.

"Exactly," Spike agreed. "So don't spar with them yourself."

Hailey heaved a heavy sigh and glanced out of the kitchen windows. "It's too bad you can't be out there with me," she said.

"I know," Spike replied, grinning. "I'd do a much better job than you," he said jokingly. Hailey rolled her eyes. Spike lingered in the shadows of the kitchen, just out of the reach of the sun.

"Here goes nothing," Hailey said, stepping forward and opening the back door. All of the girls silenced and turned to look at her. She could feel their eyes boring holes into her and she had the sudden, overwhelming urge to run.

"Really makes you want to take a hit, doesn't it?" A voice to her left said. Hailey looked over and saw Tanya standing in the sun. Looking back at the girls, she was astonished that none of them appeared to notice the First's presence. "Don't worry, they can't see me. Or hear me. Just you, baby."

"Let's get started," Hailey said gruffly, trying to ignore her dead girlfriend's presence. "We'll start with some stretching just to loosen up. Then we'll move on to sparring."

"I like this side of you," Tanya said suggestively. "Leadership looks good on you." Hailey cleared her throat and watched as the girls worked through a series of stretches. Kennedy was staring daggers at her. "Either she wants to kill you or fuck you," Tanya said, walking closely to her – close enough that if she were real, her lips would have brushed against Hailey's ear.

"Everything okay?" Willow asked, walking out of the house with a strange look on her face. Hailey turned, relief evident on her face.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Who was that?" Willow whispered as she stopped in front of Hailey.

"You saw her?" Hailey asked in surprise, noticing that Tanya had disappeared. "I didn't think anyone else had."

"I saw her," Willow replied. "Who was she?"

"An old girlfriend," Hailey whispered back, aware that everyone was watching the lovers talk out of the corners of their eyes.

"She's dead?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, she overdosed," Hailey replied, smiling sadly. "I guess you could say that she was my Tara."

Willow nodded. "How come only we could see her?"

"I don't know," Hailey admitted. "She wanted _me_ to see her."

"Then why could _I_ see her?" Willow wondered.

"Because you're powerful," Hailey said.

"What should we do now, fearless leader?" Kennedy asked rather sarcastically. Hailey repressed the urge to shoot her a look.

"Does she appear to you often?" Willow asked.

"All the time," Hailey said sighing. "Alright…Kennedy and Colleen. You're up."

……………………………………….

Faith's eyelids fluttered and then opened. A stream of light hit her and she involuntarily flinched, moving into the shadows on the bed. Then the light disappeared. She tried to speak, but her voice came out a croak. "Here's some water," a distinctly British voice said. Faith opened her eyes and looked up into Wesley's face.

"Thanks," Faith managed to say. Her voice was gravelly and rough.

"How're you feeling?" Wesley asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. Faith grimaced and pulled herself into a sitting position.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Wes inquired.

"No," Faith said, shaking her head. Reaching up, she felt the bandage on her forehead. "Another head injury?"

Wesley smiled. "There was an explosion."

"Did anyone…?"

"Yes, several girls died," Wes replied.

"Willow?" Faith asked.

"She's fine. You've been unconscious for about two days."

"Where's Buffy?" Faith asked, looking around the room. She could smell the lingering vanilla scent of her counterpart, but she could not feel her.

"In the basement, I believe," Wes answered. "She's been with you ever since the explosion, but I suggested she get some air." Faith nodded. "So how do you feel?"

"My ears are humming," Faith replied. "Kinda fuzzy in the head."

"That's normal," Wesley said. "I know you want to get up and get back to everything, but you need to rest."

"Rest?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Wesley replied.

"I don't actually think I'm going to complain," Faith said, leaning back against the headboards and closing her eyes. "I'm kinda tired."

"Would you like me to get Buffy for you?" Wes asked, rising to his feet.

"Yeah," Faith said, smiling slightly. "Thanks."


	31. Sparring

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"Rest?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Wesley replied.

"I don't actually think I'm going to complain," Faith said, leaning back against the headboards and closing her eyes. "I'm kinda tired."

"Would you like me to get Buffy for you?" Wes asked, rising to his feet.

"Yeah," Faith said, smiling slightly. "Thanks."

Chapter Thirty:

Faith leaned back against the headboard of the bed and counted the booming clicks of the second hand as it revolved around the clock on the wall. She watched as the light shining in through the half curtained window danced in patterns on the bed sheets. Everything seemed surreal and she was completely alone. She could hear the girls training out in the yard. She could hear the anxiety underlining Hailey's voice as she tried to lead them. But why was Hailey leading them? She closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her temples, rubbing away the pain that dulled her thoughts and crashed like waves through her head.

There had been an explosion. Some girls had died. She remembered diving on top of Willow. Willow was still alive. She wondered how they had escaped from the blazing inferno that the school had become after the bomb exploded. She opened her eyes again, her vision blurring before it cleared. The light from the sun reflected off of a mirror sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. Faith reached over and picked it up, turning it around to look at her face. She smiled crookedly. "I don't look so bad," Faith commented as she surveyed her face in the mirror. She had some bruises and scrapes. A bandage was slapped on the side of her forehead. But the visible wounds were already starting to heal.

"You know I don't mean to," a woman said. Faith peeked around the mirror to see a woman standing at the foot of her bed smoking a cigarette. "You just get me so angry some times."

"I get _you _angry?" Faith questioned.

"You just don't listen!" The woman exploded. "If you would just stay out of the way. But no, you always have to be underfoot."

"I was a little kid!" Faith exploded back. "Of course I was always underfoot."

"I should have just gotten rid of you when I had the chance," the woman muttered disgustedly.

"Yeah, you should have," Faith spat angrily. "Then I wouldn't have had to go through all of this shit."

"You think you've had it rough, kiddo?" The woman asked incredulously. "Think about me for a second. I squirted you out when I was fifteen years old. That fucks a kid up, you know? Having all of that responsibility and shit. _I_ had to drop out of school. _I_ had to take some shit job in a diner to make rent because _my _parents threw me out on my ass."

"I wonder why," Faith smirked.

"Shut your mouth," the woman growled. "Or I'll shut it for you." Even though Faith knew that the woman was either a hallucination brought on by her head trauma, or the First Evil messing with her mind again, she still shut her mouth out of fear of her mother's wrath. She had been beaten enough to know when to stop pushing the limits. "That's a good girl," her mother sneered. "So where's your bitch, anyway?"

"Who?" Faith asked in confusion.

"That blonde girl you're sleeping with nowadays," her mother answered, glancing around the room. "I don't see her anywhere. Thought she _loved_ you and all. I guess not."

"She's coming," Faith replied weakly.

"Right," her mother said snidely. "I'm sure she is. After she's done fucking that blonde, Billy Idol wannabe in the basement, right?"

"They're not together anymore," Faith ground out through her teeth.

"Is that what she told you? Faithy," her mother said, moving closer with a sympathetic smile on her face, "haven't you learned that you can't trust anyone? Everyone stabs you in the back, remember? Or maybe it's the stomach these days."

"Get out," Faith replied moodily.

"I can see you're not in the mood to talk," her mother said complacently, backing into the shadows. "I'll just come back when you're ready to listen."

The woman disappeared and Faith slumped against the headboard, exhausted, frustrated, and angry. "Fuck!" She yelled, slamming her fist down on the bed beside her. She heard footsteps tentatively moving up the stairs and down the hallway. They stopped in front of her door. The door slowly opened and Buffy peeked her head inside with a worried look on her face.

"Who were you talking to?" The blonde Slayer inquired as she moved into the room and closed the door behind her.

"No one," Faith said, still seething from her supposed encounter with the First.

"Are you okay? You seem kinda angry," Buffy noted as she sat on the side of the bed.

"Sorry for having feelings," Faith shot back. "I forgot that I'm supposed to be a nice, little, reformed, and castrated bunny."

"Don't tell Anya that," Buffy said half seriously. "She'll never look at you again."

"What?" Faith asked angrily.

"She's terrified of bunnies," Buffy said, watching as Faith's eyes shifted from an incensed glare to an amused twinkle.

Faith smiled a little and nodded. "I'll have to remember that."

"So how are you feeling?" Buffy asked, swinging her legs onto the bed so that she was lying next to Faith.

"You want a smart ass answer to that question?" Faith retorted playfully.

Buffy smiled. "How about a real one?"

"Okay," Faith said, nodding. "Not so great."

"Your head hurt?" Buffy asked, reaching over and running her fingertips down the side of Faith's face.

"Not so much anymore, actually," Faith responded, unconsciously leaning into her girlfriend's touch.

"No one ever told me you were such a romantic," Buffy kidded.

"Oh, there's lots about me you haven't discovered yet," Faith said.

"I know," Buffy said seriously. "But I want to."

"Not all of it's pretty," Faith replied.

"I don't care," Buffy said. "I want to be with you. _Really_ be with you. All the way."

"All the way?" Faith asked jokingly, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay, you know what I meant," she said, but sobered. "And yeah, all the way like that too. Not now obviously, as you're injured."

"I think I'd be okay," Faith argued.

"Wesley said rest," Buffy noted.

"Wesley's an idiot," Faith countered.

"I'm going to tell him you said that," Buffy warned.

"And I'm going to tell him you tried to get me to have sex with you even though he specifically told you I needed to rest," Faith shot back.

"Ha!" Buffy exclaimed. "So you do need to rest then. You admitted it."

"Damn," Faith muttered. "You're a tricky one."

Buffy smiled softly and rolled over to face Faith, nestling her head in the crook of the other girl's shoulder. "I'm almost ready. I promise."

"It's okay, B," Faith replied. "I don't want to rush you."

"You haven't," Buffy acknowledged.

"So why is Hailey leading the girls?" Faith asked, her attention diverted to the sound of someone cursing loudly wafting in through the window.

"Oh…that," Buffy said, sitting back up again. "We need to talk."

"Okay," Faith said nervously. "About what?"

"When the bomb went off, you kinda stopped breathing for a little while," Buffy explained. "Will did CPR on you and everything and you're fine…but technically, you died."

"I died?" Faith exclaimed, bolting up in the bed, only to slump back over grimacing as pain shot through her head.

"Yeah," Buffy replied, taking Faith's hand in her own. "But you're okay."

"I missed my own death," Faith murmured, shaking her head. "That sucks."

"Anyway," Buffy continued, "Hailey was called."

"No way," Faith said, her face brightening with a smile. "The sheriff got called, huh?"

"Yeah," Buffy said. "I haven't had a chance to really talk with her. I've been up here with you most of the time. I don't know how she's dealing with everything."

"Not too well by the sounds of it," Faith said, listening through the window as Hailey yelled.

…………………………………

"Stop!" Hailey yelled, moving to intervene in a fight that had broken loose between Kennedy and Colleen. They were supposed to be sparring, not street fighting. Grabbing Colleen, Hailey picked her up and deposited her several feet away. She turned back to Kennedy, ready to calm the other girl, only to receive a hard right hook to the nose. "Damn," Hailey murmured, stumbling backwards as blood began to drip from her nose. "You punched me in the nose?" She demanded, looking up at Kennedy.

"It was an accident?" Kennedy offered weakly.

"Oh, right. You just meant to hit Colleen, not me," Hailey muttered angrily.

"She was taunting me," Kennedy argued back.

"You were sparring. You're supposed to taunt each other. It's all a part of the game," Hailey replied.

"You okay?" Willow asked, moving over.

"I'm fine," Hailey grumbled. "It's stopped."

"Slayer healing," Colleen noted.

"Not like you should have it anyway," Kennedy mumbled under her breath. Hailey would not have heard it if not for her new, heightened senses.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" She asked casually. Kennedy smiled politely, though her smile was entirely faked, and shook her head. "I guess it was just the wind."

"Must have been," Kennedy replied.

"Do you want me to get Buffy?" Willow whispered, commanding her girlfriend's attention once more.

"No, it's cool," Hailey replied. "I have to figure this out. They have to respect me on their own or they never will." Willow smiled, though she would have preferred allowing Buffy to talk, or kick, some sense into Kennedy.

"What now, boss?" Kennedy asked rather sarcastically.

"Take a breather," Hailey instructed. "The next two girls can go. But let's keep things friendly this time, okay?"

The girls nodded and formed a circle once more, the two Potentials scheduled to spar stepping into the middle of it. Hailey watched as the girls threw punches and kicks at each other, making sure not to actually hit each other, while practicing their defensive moves as well. "What do you think?" Willow asked.

"They're good," Hailey replied. "There's just one problem."

"What?"

"They're not Slayers," Hailey said, heaving a sigh. "They can fight well enough, but I'm not so sure they have the strength."

"There's nothing that we can really do about that," Willow replied.

"Maybe," Hailey answered, but already she was thinking. The top ranking members of the Coven knew many things about the world of magic that even a powerful witch like Willow would not know. Shrugging away her thoughts, she focused on the two girls in front of her.

…………………………………

Andrew sighed as a popped open a can of soda as someone called for dinner. He was sitting in front of the laptop at the dining room table, trying desperately to ignore the flow of chitchat that ran from one room to the next in the Summers' house – now that a horde of teenage girls lived there. He lived with a perpetual headache. At the same time, however, he knew that he would not have wanted to be anywhere else. He was working at his redemption and a little aggravation every now and again was nothing. Pulling up one of the camera feeds, he scooped out the warehouse district.

The others had all but abandoned the cameras since the explosion and Caleb's surprise attack. The plan to abduct a Bringer had also fallen by the wayside. Taking a sip from his drink, he watched as a vampire moved into view. He was obviously stalking someone, but did not notice that someone was also stalking him. Andrew nearly spit out his soda when he saw a Bringer grab the vampire from behind and shove a cloth into his face. The vampire slumped over and the Bringer dragged him off out of view.

Andrew ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "What the hell was that?"


	32. Absolute Darkness

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming!

Previously:

The others had all but abandoned the cameras since the explosion and Caleb's surprise attack. The plan to abduct a Bringer had also fallen by the wayside. Taking a sip from his drink, Andrew watched as a vampire moved into view. He was obviously stalking someone, but did not notice that someone was also stalking him. Andrew nearly spit out his soda when he saw a Bringer grab the vampire from behind and shove a cloth into his face. The vampire slumped over and the Bringer dragged him off out of view.

Andrew ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "What the hell was that?"

Chapter Thirty-One:

_Hailey could hear Tanya moaning through the door of the motel room. With each sound, she felt as though a knife was plunging deeper and deeper into her heart. Tanya would do anything for her disease, anything to get Hailey what she needed to be normal, even if it meant letting some lowlife drug dealer fuck her into oblivion for a few hits. Hailey leaned her head against the wooden door and closed her eyes. Love was a tricky thing. The sounds suddenly stopped and Hailey moved away from the door, practically flying down the stairs of the motel's second floor, taking them two at a time. She reached the parking lot and slid into her car. _

_A couple of minutes later, Tanya emerged from the room, fixing her hair. She looked sad when the moonlight struck her face and Hailey felt her heart tighten in her chest. She did not want Tanya to have to do those things, but Tanya knew that Hailey would never make it a day without her drugs. Sometimes Hailey wondered whether it would have been better to just quit. But she knew that it was not be so easy. "Hey," Tanya said as she slid into the car beside Hailey._

_"How'd it go?" Hailey asked, trying desperately to keep the pain out of her voice._

_"Got it," Tanya said, holding up a small package of white powder. Hailey smiled._

_"You're the best, baby," she said, leaning over and kissing her girlfriend deeply. Tanya moaned and Hailey nearly pulled away in disgust, the sound too reminiscent of those she had heard moments earlier. _

_"You want to do this now?" Tanya asked, looking over the drugs._

_"No," Hailey replied slowly. "Let's get home first. I don't want anyone to see."_

_"Okay," Tanya said, noticing a change in her girlfriend. "You okay?" She asked. Hailey simply nodded as she threw the car into reverse and backed out of her parking space. "I love you, you know that right?"_

_Hailey smiled a melancholy, lopsided smile and said, "I know."_

………………… 

"I hope very much that you understand the significance of this moment. I hope you understand the importance of your sacrifice," Caleb said as he paced back and forth in front of the Seal located in the basement of the ruins of the new Sunnydale High School with his hands folded behind his back. "It's a beautiful thing that you're doing."

"Let me go!" The vampire yelled as the Bringers hoisted him up over the Seal on a wooden apparatus reminiscent of a cross. It was the same apparatus that Spike had been attached to some time earlier. The other vampire's blood still stained the wood.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. And if you understood the preciousness of what is about to happen, you wouldn't want me to either. You are going to create life, you are going to bring _life_ into this world, and that is a very blessed thing, is it not?" Caleb asked, turning to look at the First, who was once again wearing Buffy Summers' face.

"A very blessed thing," the First concurred.

"Start the ritual," Caleb commanded, turning back to the Bringers. They nodded and moved methodically, slashing the vampire's exposed chest in certain places to produce the best blood flow. "Those boys really are amazing," Caleb commented. "With no eyes they have the clearest vision."

"That's because they have my vision," the First said.

"And you're vision is absolutely perfect. Chaotic, dark, and perfect," Caleb said, smiling disarmingly.

"I have to admit, Caleb, I was a little worried that you weren't committed enough after that debacle with the new Slayer," the First said, walking in circles around its minion. "But this," it said, motioning to the screaming, writhing vampire, "is quite brilliant."

"Well, if we can't bring the people to the war, we can bring the war to the people," Caleb replied confidently. "We're going to create an army of vampires larger than anything anyone has ever seen before since the dawn of time. An army so powerful that there will never exist another like it again."

"We're going to destroy this town," the First replied, smiling with satisfaction.

"Not just this town," Caleb said, shaking his head. "No, we're going to spread your vision of absolute darkness to every person living on this earth. And they will bow before it or die."

"And what about the new Slayer?" The First asked, looking up at Caleb with alarmingly innocent eyes.

"Why, I'm going to rip her throat out," Caleb said patiently. "But first, I'm going to make her suffer."

…………………………………….

"Spike," Hailey said, stomping down the basement stairs. "You down here?"

"What's up, love?" Spike asked as he lay on his cot in the corner.

"I know you've got some alcohol down here somewhere. I want some," Hailey commanded. "Right now."

"Drinking on the job, eh?" Spike asked, smiling sardonically as he pulled himself into a sitting position and motioned for Hailey to join him.

"Do you have anything or not?" Hailey asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, I've got the best," Spike replied, rolling his eyes as he pulled a bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses from a drawer in a cabinet next to his cot. "And lucky for you, pet, I'm in a sharing mood." Hailey nodded and sat down beside the bleach blonde vampire on the rickety cot. Spike poured them two shots and handed a glass to her, which she took eagerly. "A toast," Spike offered.

"To what?" Hailey asked.

"To being a Slayer," Spike said. "It must be nice."

"It's different," Hailey stated. "But I'll drink to it."

"Bottoms up then," Spike said as he lifted the glass to his lips and let the amber liquid slide down his throat. Hailey did the same, grimacing as it burned its way down to her stomach.

"Another," Hailey said, handing him the glass.

"What's wrong?" Spike asked as he poured her another shot.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" She countered.

"You're sitting in a fairly dank basement taking shots with a vampire," Spike deadpanned. "I think it's safe to say that something's not quite right."

"Kennedy," Hailey said, downing her second shot. Usually by now, she would have a buzz forming, but she felt nothing. Spike seemed to sense her dilemma and smiled.

"Slayer metabolism," he stated. "It's going to take twice your normal amount to get drunk."

"Wonderful," Hailey replied as Spike filled her glass again.

"So what about Kennedy is bothering you?" Spike asked.

"The way she looks at Willow," Hailey said angrily. "And the way she looks at me."

"What the difference?" Spike inquired.

"She looks at Willow like she wants to fuck her and she looks at me like she wants to kill me," Hailey said. "She was supposed to be the next Slayer, not me. And she knows it."

"But she's not the next Slayer, you are. She has to get over it," Spike said. Hailey contemplated his words and downed her third shot.

"What if I can't do this?" Hailey asked lowly. "I'm not reliable."

"You think Buffy's always been reliable? There was a time when she cared more about fitting in and cheerleading than she did about slaying. And what about Faith? Do I even need to remind you about what happened with her? Not a pinnacle of reliability that one," Spike objected.

Hailey snickered. "Good point," she said.

"You want another?" Spike asked.

"No, I shouldn't," Hailey replied.

"Why not?" Spike said.

"Drug addict, alcoholic…they both kinda go hand in hand," Hailey said, handing him back his shot glass. "I probably shouldn't have even had one."

"Thanks for telling me now," Spike retorted. Hailey flashed him a smile and stood.

"Good talk," she said, heading back up the basement stairs.

"Anytime," Spike called after her.

Hailey closed the basement door behind her. "Hailey," Andrew said, virtually popping up out of nowhere.

"What?" Hailey asked, annoyed at being surprised.

"There's something you should see," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the laptop set up in the dining room.

"What?" Hailey asked, eyeing him suspiciously as he pulled a video up on the computer screen.

"Watch this," Andrew instructed.

"This better not be something stupid," Hailey muttered. A video feed from the cameras stationed around Sunnydale began to play. It showed a vampire moving across the screen, only to be attacked and kidnapped by a Bringer. "That's weird," Hailey said.

"That's not all," Andrew replied proudly. "I've found more."

"Show me," Hailey requested interestedly.

Andrew pulled up several more videos he had discovered when sifting through archived footage from the different cameras. All depicted vampires being kidnapped by Bringers. "I don't know what it all means, but I thought you should see it," Andrew said.

"You were right," Hailey acknowledged. "I want you to keep a careful eye on these cameras. Let me know how many vampires they take a night."

"Really?" Andrew practically squeaked. "So this is like an official Scooby job?"

"Yeah," Hailey said, shaking her head at his oddness, but smiling. "It's an official Scooby job."

…………………………………

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Willow said, closing the kitchen door and stepping out into the backyard.

"Sure," Kennedy replied, turning to face the red haired witch.

"You were out of line today," Willow stated.

"When?" Kennedy asked.

"Well first off, when you punched Hailey in the face," Willow said.

"That was an accident," Kennedy maintained. "Colleen and I were sparring. People get hit. It's the way it goes."

"Something tells me it wasn't an accident," Willow muttered.

"Are you happy with her?" Kennedy suddenly asked.

"What?" Willow replied.

"Are _you_ happy with _her_," Kennedy stated more slowly. "It seems like there's a whole lot of tension between you and I can't really figure out why you're with her."

"That's none of your business," Willow replied angrily. "Of course I'm happy with her."

"Are you really?" Kennedy asked, stepping closer until she was practically invading Willow's personal space. The witch did not move.

"Yes," Willow said softly.

"I don't believe you," Kennedy replied, looking Willow deeply in the eyes before she leaned forward and kissed her.


	33. From Bad to Worse

Night Falls

Notes: I'm not sure why everything in the last chapter was underlined, but I fixed it. Sorry if that was annoying, I know it annoyed the hell out of me.

Previously:

"Are you really?" Kennedy asked, stepping closer until she was practically invading Willow's personal space. The witch did not move.

"Yes," Willow said softly.

"I don't believe you," Kennedy replied, looking Willow deeply in the eyes before she leaned forward and kissed her.

Chapter Thirty-Two:

_The snow was falling in white, puffy flakes. Faith watched them fall like confetti from heaven as she sat on a wooden crate in an alley in the outskirts of Boston, where the bums lived and the factories billowed smoke twenty-four hours a day. There was always a rotten, stale smell in the air that Faith could not quite identify, but it made her feel nauseous. One of the bums had lit a fire in a trashcan near her and she could feel its warmth floating in the air. She shivered and ducked her head, letting her hair fall like a shield in front of her face. She had stolen a jacket from a department store to hide the blood that was covering her shirt. She could still feel it on her hands, slick and wet. But it wasn't her blood; it was Kate's._

_"Kakistos," she whispered. The name left a bitter, acidic taste in her mouth. The cloven footed vampire had killed her Watcher, the only person she had truly loved in any real sense. She liked to think that she had loved her mother because she imagined that a person who could not love her own mother must have been a very terrible person, but she could not lie to herself. She had hated the woman who brought her into the world almost as much as she had hated God for creating her in the first place._

_Not all of the blood on her hands was Kate's, however; some of it belonged to the beast himself. Bits of flesh, runny puss from his popped eye, and his dark, sticky blood covered her right hand. Faith could feel something rising up in her throat and found herself silently gagging. Her stomach wanted to rebel against her body, expunge all of the images running through her mind in a violent heave. But she would not let Kakistos win. Swallowing the vomit down, she grimaced and set her jaw. Kate had talked about another Slayer living in California, a blonde girl who had been called before her but somehow had not died, even though Faith had been called in her place. She did not know anything else about that girl, but a name – Buffy Summers. _

_"Summer," Faith muttered to herself. The girl's name conjured thoughts of oppressive summer days when the air was so thick walking outside was like swimming in pollution. Still, she loved summer. When it was summertime, the city was hers, day and night. She never went home. Faith had never been to California, but she thought that it would be nice, almost like a golden land of beauty and sunshine. She would go to California and find the other Slayer. Maybe once she got there, she could finally stop running._

………………………………….

Faith watched Buffy sleep in a serene stillness that belied the violence of which she was capable. Her eyes fluttered underneath her eyelids as images danced before them in an endless series of dreams. Faith wondered of what she was dreaming. Maybe it was she, but then, maybe it was another nightmare produced by the Powers that Be to warn them of the coming danger. But Faith hoped that Buffy was dreaming of something good – something that would make her smile in the morning and wish that she could have stayed in the dream for another hour.

Faith was propping herself up on her elbow, running her other hand up and down Buffy's arm, letting her fingers memorize the skin beneath them. She had never known perfection, but Faith imagined that if anything could be perfect, it would be Buffy. She knew that the golden haired Slayer was flawed; everyone had flaws. Everyone committed sins and wrought some form of evil onto the world. But Faith knew that only good lived in Buffy's heart, unlike her own. When Faith reminisced about her previous times in Sunnydale, she could scarcely believe the life she was living. Buffy had fallen in love with her somehow and everyday Faith was afraid that she would wake up to find out that it had all been a dream.

Still, even if it was a dream, at least it was a good one. The moon was shining in through the window in pale slivers of light. Faith remembered looking up at that moon in Boston the day she left for California. The moon had been full and round then, like the chubby face of an angel. Buffy stirred in her sleep, rolling over to face Faith, who could feel the older girl's breath tickling the skin of her neck. She smiled and settled down on the pillow next her. The world was going to end and they would probably die trying to stop it; but for the night, Faith was going to pretend that she was in a dream world where nothing bad ever happened and she and Buffy were free.

…………………………..

Hailey stood at the kitchen sink with her palms resting on the counter, staring intently out of the window. Kennedy and Willow were kissing outside in the moonlight. She thought that she would be angry about seeing her girlfriend kissing another woman, but she felt oddly devoid of emotion. She watched as one would watch a tragedy unfolding on a stage – a spectator. At any moment, she expected Willow and Kennedy to turn and face the audience, bowing at the wild applause that they would receive. But maybe if the play continued, Willow would push Kennedy away and defend her relationship with Hailey. However, the longer Hailey stood watching, the more she realized that Willow was not pushing the other girl away; in fact, she was responding to her.

Then the anger came. Hailey felt it start to boil in the pit of her stomach. Her muscles clenched and she wanted to lash out at anything and everything. She wanted to break the world. A bitter taste filled her mouth and she realized that she had bit through the inside of her lip. Blood spilled into her mouth and nearly choked her. Backing away from the window, she walked out of the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Dawn asked as Hailey pushed open the door and stopped in front of her with a fiery look in her eyes. Dawn squinted at her and said, "Are you bleeding."

"Yeah," Hailey replied, her eyes focusing as if she had been shaken out of a daze.

"Well, what happened?" Dawn prodded, sensing that something was terribly wrong with the older girl. Hailey smiled, blood evident on her lips.

"Nothing," she replied slowly. "I'm going out for a while. Don't wait up."

"What should I tell Willow when she asks where you are?" Dawn shouted after Hailey as she mechanically walked down the hall and to the front door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob and glanced back at Dawn.

"I don't think she's going to ask," Hailey replied and opened the door, disappearing into the night.

Dawn watched her go with concern. Turning away, she entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass out of one of the cabinets. Moving over to the sink, she filled the glass with water. She raised it to her lips and let the water fill her mouth. Glancing out of the window, she suddenly coughed, water spurting out of her mouth like a geyser. "Oh, shit," she muttered when she saw Kennedy and Willow.

…………………………

"Stop," Willow managed to say, breaking away from Kennedy.

"Do you really want me to?" Kennedy asked, her voice low and her face flushed with desire.

"Yes," Willow said forcefully. "I'm with Hailey."

"Right now, you're with me," Kennedy said. "It's not like you weren't into that."

"I can't do this," Willow whispered. "I love her."

"You could love me," Kennedy whispered back. "Just give me a chance."

"No," Willow said, taking two steps backwards towards the house. "I can't be with you the way you want."

"Then just be with me," Kennedy said, taking a step forward.

"I'm sorry," Willow replied as she turned and walked back into the house, leaving Kennedy standing outside.

"What the hell were you doing?" Dawn demanded. Willow jumped, surprised to see the younger girl standing beside the sink.

"Kennedy kissed me," Willow admitted.

"Really?" Dawn replied sarcastically. "It looked to me like you were enjoying it."

"I pushed her away," Willow defended.

"How long did it take you to do that?" Dawn questioned angrily.

"She caught me by surprise," Willow said heatedly. "I didn't know what was happening. I don't understand why you're getting so angry."

"Because I'm not the only one who saw you," Dawn said gravely.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, her face turning paler than usual.

"Hailey saw you. She walked out. I don't know where she went, but it's not safe for any of us out there right now," Dawn replied.

"Shit," Willow hissed, rubbing her forehead with her hand to ward away the headache she knew would start pounding through her brain.

"What should we do?" Dawn asked.

"I'll get Buffy. We need to find her," Willow said.

"I don't think she's going to want to be found!" Dawn called after Willow as she ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

………………………………..

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon as Hailey sat down on a park bench, leaned forward, and rubbed her temples. A plastic bag crinkled between her fingers as she did and Hailey could feel the powder in it grating against her skin. She felt empty. She had spent the night drinking in a dive off of Main Street, a bar where no one she knew in Sunnydale ever went. No one had come looking for her there. She had bought the drugs without thinking, almost as if the exchange was second nature to her. But once she had the package in her hand, she realized what she had done. Now she sat on the bench debating whether to snort it or throw it down a sewer.

She knew that once she started again, she would be unable to stop. But she also knew that the pain that was crashing into her over and over again would never cease unless she made it stop. She should never have fallen in love again. Everything had been fine before she came to Sunnydale. She was happy, or, at least, she was not miserable. But then Willow had walked into her life and she wanted nothing more than to be with the red haired witch. That had been a mistake. Opening her heart up to another person again had been a mistake. "And now I'm about to make another," she whispered to herself as she propped her elbows up on her knees and stared at the bag.

She had made up her mind what to do when her Slayer senses, to which she was still getting accustomed, began to scream in her mind. Something was coming – something bad. She stood, letting the bag slip from her fingers, and prepared to fight when a loud pop resounded through the air. For a moment, she could not hear anything. Then a deep pain, far more real than the pain she had been feeling, rammed through her shoulder. She stumbled forward and reached up, touching the blistered, broken skin where a bullet had shot through her body. Blood collected on her shirt and began to drip down onto her fingers.

"Look what I've found," a familiar voice said from behind her. Hailey slowly turned, falling backwards onto the grass, and saw Caleb walking up to her with a gun in his hand. "Don't you worry now, little girl, that wound isn't fatal," he said. "But I did smother that bullet with poison, so you're going to feel a little disoriented for a while, until I've got you chained up where I want you."

"What…," Hailey muttered, her tongue becoming thick and heavy, and her vision blurring over.

"Don't try to talk, honey, you're just going to make it worse," Caleb said, kneeling down in front of her. "You and me, I think we're going to have lots of fun."


	34. To Find Out What You're Really Made Of

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming. I will be in San Diego for five days this weekend and next week. I hope to update one more time before then, but we'll see, as I also have finals this week.

Previously:

"Don't you worry now, little girl, that wound isn't fatal," he said. "But I did smother that bullet with poison, so you're going to feel a little disoriented for a while, until I've got you chained up where I want you."

"What…" Hailey muttered, her tongue becoming thick and heavy, and her vision blurring over.

"Don't try to talk, honey, you're just going to make it worse," Caleb said, kneeling down in front of her. "You and me, I think we're going to have lots of fun."

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Water was dripping from a broken, disintegrating pipe somewhere over top of her. Every couple of seconds, a drop of stale, brown water splashed down on her face. It smelled rotten. She did not know where she was, but she got the distinct impression that she was underground. A single light bulb swung from a string in the room, flickering on and off in a nauseating and disconcerting rhythm. The poison was working its way through her system. She could barely lift her arms, but each time she tried, pain shot through her shoulder. She could feel the bullet jabbed into her skin where it did not belong, scratching against bone and tissue. Blood seeped from the wound onto the floor and diverged, like ripples in water. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell into an uneasy slumber.

_"Tell me a bedtime story," she begged as her father sat on the edge of her bed. He was wearing a suit with a blue tie. He looked tired and old, but he smiled. Nodding his head, he pulled her covers up to her chin and folded his hands in his lap._

_"Once upon a time," he began in a gruff voice, "there was a girl. She was the most special girl in the whole world."_

_"Why?" Hailey interrupted eagerly._

_Quentin smiled. "Patience, my child, is a virtue," he extolled. Hailey frowned, but remained silent. "This girl, she had a destiny that no one else in the world had. A beautiful destiny." Quentin's eyes took on a faraway look as he spoke. "This girl was a Slayer. She was stronger than any other creature on the earth. More powerful. She moved like a shadow in the night and nothing ever penetrated her."_

_"Is that what I'm going to be, daddy?" Hailey asked, yawning widely._

_"Yes," Quentin answered softly. "That's what you're going to be. You see, my little girl is going to be a Slayer one day. You're going to have a great destiny and nothing will ever stand in your way."_

_"But then I'll have to fight the monsters," Hailey complained, her eyelids growing heavy._

_"The monsters will all fear you. And you'll be able to rest easier at night knowing that you'll be protecting little girls all over the world, just like you now, who can't defend themselves," Quentin said. He looked down at his daughter and noticed that she had fallen asleep._

_"And when the time for the next Slayer comes, you'll finally be able to rest," he murmured, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "My baby girl."_

"Well, doesn't she just sleep like an angel," Caleb remarked, leaning over Hailey. Hailey's eyes shot open and she attempted to slide away from him, but her muscles would not cooperate with her wishes. "I'm almost sorry to have to wake you."

"What…" Hailey stopped, shaking her head in hope of finding some clarity, "what do you want?"

"What I want is really very simple. You see, I want you and all of the people like you to die so that the one, true evil can reign over this world. And seeing as to how you're the Slayer now, and not that other bitch, so long as I have you, I have the key to the entire line of Slayers," Caleb explained. "You see, if I kill you, another one will be called, and what good would that do? So I guess you and me are just going to have to put up with each other until I've killed all of the Potentials and the other two Slayers and there's no one left to take your place."

"And then what?" Hailey croaked. Her throat was raw. She painfully swallowed, feeling as though every time she spoke, she was ripping open her flesh.

"Then I'm going to kill you. It's a hard destiny to face….being the last one. But I have a feeling that you're just strong enough to bear it," Caleb said, grinning.

"You know, Caleb," the First Evil said, appearing from behind the preacher, "I don't think she quite understands how powerful we are."

"You don't think?" Caleb asked, glancing over his shoulder at the specter resembling Buffy.

"I think maybe you should show her just what we're made of," the First replied, smiling smugly.

"Why, that's a good idea," Caleb replied. "Boys," he said as two Bringers rushed forward and grabbed Hailey under the arms. They dragged her out of the cell that she had been placed in and deposited her on top of a cold, metal table in a larger room. They shackled her arms and legs to the table and backed away into the shadows. "I've always been a fan of torture," Caleb said, moving into the room. "I think it shows the true character of a person."

Hailey squinted in the harsh light of the bulb shining directly over her face. "Of course, it won't be pleasant," Caleb continued. "But I think when we're done, you'll have a much better understanding of yourself." Hailey laughed, the sound echoing throughout the room. Caleb stared down at her in confusion. "What is she laughing at?" Caleb asked, looking back at the First, who looked quite angry.

"What are you laughing at?" Caleb demanded, looking down at her again.

"Whatever you do to me, Caleb," Hailey said, "couldn't possibly hurt as much as I already hurt."

"What are you talking about?" Caleb growled. "We haven't even done anything yet. One, little gunshot wound and you're acting like it's the end of the world."

"Not all wounds you can see," Hailey murmured. "Some just run deeper."

"She's just trying to throw you off," the First replied, stepping forward. "Begin."

Caleb smiled coolly as the Bringers brought him a tray. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we?" He said, picking up a lighter. Caleb flicked it open and Hailey watched as a flame ignited. He slowly lowered it to the palm of her hand, watching her face as he pressed it against the skin. A tiny curl of smoke rose from her hand and she could smell her flesh burning. But the pain was nothing like the pain crashing through her heart.

Hailey smiled. "Is that all you got, preacher? A little fire and brimstone. I'm not impressed."

"Oh, we're just getting warmed up, little girl," Caleb replied. "I don't think you're going to be so glib in a couple of hours."

………………………………….

"Buffy!" Willow said, crashing through the door of Buffy's bedroom. Buffy bolted awake, glancing around wildly.

"Calm down, Red, what is it?" Faith asked, grimacing as pain crashed through her mind. Her headaches were not going away.

"Hailey," Willow said, trying to catch her breath. "Hailey left."

"What're you talking about?" Buffy asked, sliding off of the bed and rubbing the sleep from her face.

"Hailey saw Kennedy kissing me in the backyard and just took off," Willow explained.

"You kissed Kennedy?" Faith questioned in surprise.

"No," Willow said defensively. "She kissed me."

"I don't see the problem," Buffy replied.

"She's out there somewhere," Willow said, gesturing wildly out of the window. "Where all of the evil is."

"She's a Slayer," Faith said. "She can take care of herself."

"She probably just needs to walk it off, Will," Buffy added. "I'm sure she's pissed off and confused. She'll be back in the morning and you can talk to her then. But I wouldn't go looking for her. It'll only make her angrier."

"I can't believe you two," Willow said angrily. "You're not even worried about her."

"Of course we're worried," Buffy said in exasperation. "But nothing's going to happen to her. She just needs time. I know you're emotional right now. But overreacting is just going to make everything worse."

"She thinks you were kissing another girl, Red," Faith continued. "She needs to wrap her head around what she saw and realize that you would never hurt her like that. But she needs to do it on her own. All of the explaining and justifying in the world isn't going to do any good if she isn't ready to hear it."

"Forget it," Willow muttered, stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

"You said Hailey's out there?" Spike asked. He was standing several feet down the hallway, very obviously listening to the conversation between the three women.

"Yes," Willow said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't care if she is a Slayer, she shouldn't be out there. It's too dangerous."

"I agree," Spike replied. "So let's go find her."

"Really?" Willow asked, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Spike smiled kindly and nodded. "Really."

………………………………

Hailey's lungs were screaming for air, but she could not breath. Finally, Caleb yanked her out of the water. Breathing deeply, she could not stop shaking. The water was freezing. Caleb had her kneeling on the floor in front of a tub of ice water. "Are you starting to understand now?" Caleb asked. Hailey's teeth were chattering in her skull. When she tried to speak, she bit through her lip.

"I still don't think she is," the First said, obviously enjoying the spectacle.

"That water feel good on your burns?" Caleb asked, inspecting the blistering burn marks all over her face and neck.

"It feels bloody great," Hailey managed to say, blood spurting out of her mouth when she spoke.

"Again," the First commanded.

Hailey sucked in a breath as Caleb shoved her face back down into the water. Even her bones felt cold. Closing her eyes, she waited until she could breath again.

……………………………….

"We're going to have to go back soon," Spike said, glancing up into the sky. The sun would rise in an hour. Already, the sky was turning a light shade of gray.

"I know," Willow said worriedly. "But we've checked everywhere and no one's seen her. Where could she have gone?"

"Let's check the park," Spike replied. "It's close by."

"Okay," Willow said. They walked in silence to the park, each lost in their own thoughts. "Why are you helping me?" Willow finally asked. "We've never exactly been friends."

"No," Spike agreed. "But I like to think that Hailey and I are. She's different than the other Slayers, you know. She seems to understand the human in the demon. She doesn't look at me like I'm a vampire."

"She's a good person," Willow said.

"Yeah, she is," Spike agreed. "Stop," he added suddenly.

"What?" Willow asked.

"I smell blood," Spike stated, surveying the ground intently. "Over there." He began walking, Willow trailing behind him, to a bench in the park. A pool of blood stained the grass in front of it.

"That could be anyone's," Willow argued.

"But it's not," Spike said grimly. "That's Hailey's blood."

"How can you know that?" Willow asked anxiously.

"I'm a vampire," Spike reminded her. "I can tell."

"What are we gonna do?" Willow asked.

"Head back to the house," Spike said, then added from the incredulous look Willow shot him, "something tells me that Buffy and Faith will listen to you now."


	35. Responsibility

Night Falls

Previously:

"I smell blood," Spike stated, surveying the ground intently. "Over there." He began walking, Willow trailing behind him, to a bench in the park. A pool of blood stained the grass in front of it.

"That could be anyone's," Willow argued.

"But it's not," Spike said grimly. "That's Hailey's blood."

Chapter Thirty-Four:

Two, large wooden crates were sitting in the hallway. From her seat by the door of the living room, Dawn could see them waiting, untouched. She wondered what was inside of them. When they had arrived earlier that morning, the deliveryman had been insistent that Hailey Travers sign for them. However, as Hailey was missing in action and presumably kidnapped by the Bringers, Dawn had pulled Colleen out of the kitchen to pretend that she was the new Slayer. The deliveryman had been doubtful of Colleen's true identity, but left the crates anyway. Before Dawn had gotten a chance to open them, Buffy had called a meeting in the living room, during which she had explained that Hailey's blood had been found in the park.

Faith was sitting next to Dawn, propped up in a chair with a pained look on her face. "You okay?" Dawn whispered. Faith smiled with an effort and nodded.

"Five by five, kiddo," she replied.

"That means no, right?" Dawn answered.

"Just a headache," Faith elaborated. "Wes says that I'll be getting lots of them for a while."

Dawn nodded and turned her attention back to Buffy, who was standing in the center of the room, commanding the attention of everyone surrounding her, as usual. Spike lingered in the shadows by the basement door with Willow standing beside him. They seemed to have forged an unlikely alliance since Hailey's disappearance – an alliance about which Buffy did not seem particularly pleased. Giles, Wesley, and Anya were sitting on the couch, with Xander perched on the armrest. The rest of the Potentials were scattered throughout the room, with Andrew sitting in the middle of them.

Kennedy lingered by the door, appearing both indifferent to the news and anxious about it at the same time. Dawn supposed that Kennedy realized that Hailey's disappearance was mostly her fault. Though Dawn knew that Willow would not have intentionally hurt Hailey, she still also blamed the red haired witch for Hailey's kidnapping. Willow should have known that Kennedy still harbored a secret crush on her. Furthermore, Willow should have known that Kennedy desperately wanted to act on it.

"So when are we heading out?" Colleen asked, in between whispering a Spanish translation to Maria of what Buffy had been saying.

"Not until nightfall," Buffy replied.

"What?" Willow blurt out angrily.

Buffy sighed. "It would be pointless to search for her right now. We have no idea where she is. The only clue was have is the blood in the park and the only person we have that can follow a blood trail is Spike."

"And I'm not so good in the daylight," Spike reminded Willow softly. Willow's features noticeably fell, but she nodded.

"Okay," she mumbled in defeat.

"Until then, nobody leaves the house," Buffy instructed. "I think we underestimated how dangerous it is out there."

"We'll get her back," Spike whispered over to Willow. "She's a strong one."

"Caleb's stronger," Willow replied.

"We don't know that he has her," Spike answered.

"I do," Willow said steadily. Spike narrowed his eyes, watching the Wiccan closely.

"Don't even bloody well think of it," Spike growled lowly.

"What?" Willow squeaked, looking at him in surprise. She had forgotten how intimidating he could be when he tried.

"I know what you're thinking," Spike said, watching Buffy out of the corner of his eye to ensure that their conversation was not reaching the Slayer's ears. "You're not going out there after her by yourself. No way in Hell. And you're not using magic on this either."

"Why not?" Willow demanded. "It may be the only thing that can save her."

"It's not," Spike concluded. "Buffy and I are both strong. We can take Caleb, or who ever else has her. I'm not going to risk you flaying everyone and everything in your path again to get to her."

"I'm not going to do that again," Willow replied in frustration.

"Can you promise me that? Without a doubt, can you promise me that you won't lose control again?" Spike questioned her.

Willow lowered her head and sighed. "No, I can't," she replied sullenly.

"It's okay," Spike said, smiling crookedly and gently laying his hand on her shoulder. "I know something better that you can do."

"What?" Willow asked, desperately wanting to feel useful in a situation that she felt that she had caused.

"If we're trapped in this house all day, I want to make damn sure that nothing can get in," Spike said.

"You want me to do a protection spell on the house?" Willow asked.

"I know that Hailey had been talking about it at one point, but the idea seemed to get lost in the shuffle," Spike replied. "I think it's a good one, given that the Bringers and Caleb has already broken in on two separate occasions."

"I'll get right on it," Willow said, smiling.

"Is there anything that you need?" Spike asked.

"No, I should have everything upstairs," Willow said, looking around the room intently. "But I will need a helper." Her eyes settled on Dawn and she smiled.

"Okay, guys, that's it," Buffy finished. The room collectively rose and began to disperse.

"Dawn," Willow called out, capturing the mystical teenager's attention.

"Yeah?" Dawn asked, moving back towards the witch.

"I need your help with a little project."

Dawn nodded and followed Willow up the stairs. With each minute that passed, a sense of dread was increasing in the pit of her stomach. She knew that they did not have much time to find Hailey before something terrible would happen to her. She did not know why she knew that, but she imagined that with millions of years of mystical energy flowing through her blood, it was bound to have some effect. _Hold on_, she thought, hoping that wherever Hailey was, she would hear. _We're coming for you._

…………………………….

Andrew settled down in front of the laptop computer on the dining room table. Buffy and the others seemed to have forgotten that he existed. They never gave him any responsibility. It was almost as if he were invisible to them. But he had not been invisible to Hailey. Instead, Hailey had given him responsibility. She had given him a rather important task. Though sifting through hours of video footage, where nothing useful usually happened, was rather boring, Andrew felt as though he was getting close to figuring something out. Bringers had been kidnapping vampires left and right every night that week. The vampire population of Sunnydale seemed noticeably wary as they walked down the streets. Something was striking fear in their hearts and it wasn't the Slayers.

Andrew turned his attention to the camera across the street from the tattered ruins of the high school. He had noticed, while editing footage from the high school, that the Bringers had started to take the vampires there. The vampires would disappear for a night or two and then would resurface, tamed, and dragged to the school by the Bringers. Andrew knew what lay in the basement of that school – the Seal. He also knew that the First had made him kill Jonathon overtop of the Seal in order to make it open. However, it had not worked because Jonathon was human. He didn't have enough blood. He died too quickly. Andrew shuddered at the memory of driving a knife into his friend's stomach.

When Spike had been taken by the First, it had used his blood to open the Seal and release one of the Turok-Han vampires. "The First needed vampire blood," Andrew said aloud, "because vampires can bleed for a long time. They don't die from it." He pondered the thought for a while before a light bulb went off in his mind. "The First is using the vampires to open the Seal and raise more Turok-Hans. It's trying to build an army." Andrew knew that his discovery would help the Scoobies, but he also knew that his discovery would dampen an already miserable day. However, he also knew that the Bringers had been taking the vampires somewhere before they brought them to the school. Therefore, the school was not their primary base of operations. They had to be operating out of somewhere else instead. If they could find that other location, they would probably find Hailey.

……………………………..

The lights were flickering on and off, shorting with sparks flying out from the bulb. The building she was being held in was having electrical problems. The bulb would fry and then someone would flip the power again and it would shoot to life, glaringly bright in her eyes. The water was dripping on her head again, although instead of being chained to the floor as she had been before, she was now hanging from the wall. Caleb was a master at torture, Hailey had discovered, and he knew just what a Slayer body could take before it broke down. He was being incredibly careful not to allow her to die during his ministrations. He wanted her alive; he had made that very clear.

Once he was done torturing her, he carried her into the room she had been kept before and drove her through a spike on the wall, chaining her arms around the water pipe attached to the ceiling to keep her erect. She had been hanging there ever since. She did not know how long it had been, only that every couple of seconds, the dirty, brown water dripped down on her face. Her clothes were soaked and shivers of cold rushed through her body. But every time she moved, searing pain shot through her stomach from the spike, so she suppressed the shivers and everything else. Blood dripped from her wounds, coating the floor in slippery red. She was beyond feeling pain, beyond feeling nausea, and beyond caring that Willow had cheated on her with Kennedy. The image of them kissing had almost faded from her mind, as had every other memory she once possessed. All she cared about now was surviving.

She could easily shift to the right or left on the pole and do irreparable damage that would kill her before Caleb discovered her dead body hanging from the wall, but she had to survive; if for nothing else, but to preserve the Slayer line. None of the other Potentials were ready to become yet. All of the sudden, she could hear a voice echoing through her mind. It sounded vaguely familiar, but it was not her own. _Hold on, we're coming for you_, the voice said. It was young and innocent. "Dawn," she murmured, blood spilling from her lips and down her chin as she spoke. All she could taste was blood. But she smiled. They were coming for her.


	36. Coming Down

Night Falls

Notes: San Diego was awesome. Sorry it took so long for a new chapter, but I've been working on some non-fanfiction projects. Hope you like this one.

Previously:

Hailey could easily shift to the right or left on the pole and do irreparable damage that would kill her before Caleb discovered her dead body hanging from the wall, but she had to survive; if for nothing else, but to preserve the Slayer line. None of the other Potentials were ready to become yet. All of the sudden, she could hear a voice echoing through her mind. It sounded vaguely familiar, but it was not her own. _Hold on, we're coming for you_, the voice said. It was young and innocent. "Dawn," she murmured, blood spilling from her lips and down her chin as she spoke. All she could taste was blood. But she smiled. They were coming for her.

Chapter Thirty-Five:

"You're not going and that's it," Buffy said angrily, gesturing wildly with her hands. Faith would have laughed if not for the pain throbbing in her head; a pain she was desperately trying to ignore.

"Yes, I am," Faith stated calmly. "I understand why you don't want me to go, but I'm not staying home."

"The rest of the girls need protection," Buffy said. "We can't just leave them here alone."

"Then you stay with them. Willow did a protection spell on the house. I may be with you, Buffy, but don't become a chain to me," Faith exploded, finally losing her patience. She immediately regretted her words when Buffy's face fell and she unconsciously stepped back. Faith rubbed her forehead roughly and shook her head. "I didn't mean that."

"You said it," Buffy declared. "Not me."

"Hailey is one of the only friends I have. She didn't give a shit about any of the things I did before, even though she knew all about them. She was just there for me. I can't turn my back on her now," Faith pleaded. "I have to go with you."

"If we're going to do this, we have to do it now," Spike said, popping his head in Buffy's room. "Willow's ready."

Buffy sighed heavily and nodded. "Fine," she said. "But if you start to feel strange at all, just get out of there, okay?"

"Okay," Faith agreed. The two Slayers walked out of the room, joining Spike in the hall.

"Does she have everything she needs?" Buffy asked.

"She's already started, I believe," Spike replied. Walking downstairs and into the living room, they watched from the doorway as Willow began chanting. They had agreed that the best way to find Hailey was a locator spell, which would sense her mystical aura and inform Willow as to exactly where she was being held.

Buffy dreaded the coming battle. Andrew had hastily pulled her aside and told her what he had learned by watching the cameras. Hailey was being held in Caleb's headquarters, where Andrew believed dozens of vampires were also being held. If his theory was correct about their use, dozens of Turok-Han vampires could be housed there as well. The room lit up in a sudden flash, which descended on the map lying on the floor in front of Willow. "There she is," Willow murmured.

"Let's go," Faith said eagerly. Willow gingerly picked up the map and moved to the front door, Buffy, Faith, and Spike stepping in line behind her.

"Wait," Dawn suddenly said, stepping in front of the door.

"We have to go, Dawn," Buffy said impatiently.

"I'm going with you," Dawn declared stubbornly.

"Why in the hell does everyone want to walk into the deathtrap?" Buffy muttered to herself. "No," she said, looking up at Dawn.

"This isn't your choice," Dawn said slowly. "I have to go with you. I don't know why, I just have to."

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, looking at her questioningly.

"It's like I can feel her, or something," Dawn explained. "There's this deep pain in my heart and it keeps growing every second we wait. I know that she's alive and I think she can hear me."

"What do you mean – hear you?" Buffy asked.

"I talked to her, in my head, you know? And the pain lessened. I _know_ that she can hear me. I don't know why, but I know she can," Dawn explained.

"Okay, you're coming with us," Faith said. "But stay out of trouble."

"What?" Buffy said angrily.

"Like I said, you don't like it, you can stay home," Faith countered, moving out of the door with Dawn trailing behind her. Buffy looked flabbergasted over at Spike, who simply shrugged.

"You think I have a bloody clue what's going on around here?" He asked, disappearing into the night with the others. Buffy sighed, her sense of dread growing larger with every step that she took, and walked out of the light and into the dark.

………………………….

_"Does God really hear us?" Hailey asked, looking over at her father with wide, innocent eyes. Quentin chuckled and kneeled down beside her on the floor next to her bed._

_"Do you believe that he does?" Quentin asked._

_"I don't know," Hailey said, troubled. Her brow creased and she looked intently at her folded hands. "He never says anything back."_

_"Not that you can hear," Quentin noted._

_"What do you mean?" She asked, looking over at him again. He seemed gigantic to her eyes, his shadow casting a large, black shade on the wall behind him. _

_"God doesn't speak to your ears," Quentin said. "He speaks to your heart. Everything you say he answers, in his time, and in his way. It may not be the way in which you expect, but he hears you none the less."_

_"Are you sure?" Hailey prodded._

_"As sure as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow," Quentin replied, though he was never quite sure of that. Knowing what he did about the world, he was never sure that the sun would rise and the world would wake peacefully again in the morning. He knew that one day it would not and chaos would reign. He looked down at his daughter, knowing in his heart that she was meant to become a Slayer one day. She would protect that world and make sure that the sun rose, protecting the hopes and dreams of countless generations of people._

_"Pray with me, daddy," she said, smiling lopsidedly._

_"Alright," Quentin replied. "I'll begin. Our father, who art in Heaven…."_

"Hallowed be thy name," Caleb said, looking over at the First Evil. "Why, I'd dare say that we've almost broken her."

"She does look rather worse for wear," the First replied in amusement.

Hailey struggled to lift her blood shot eyes to glare at them, but she found the movement too much for her. Sagging in her bonds again, she closed her eyes. She felt nauseous, even though she had not eaten in some time. Blood dribbled down her lips and with every second that passed, she felt her life slipping from her. She struggled to hold on, to try to stay alive, but she knew that she was fighting a losing battle. Though she had looked forward to her destiny as a Slayer, she knew that one day she would perish because of it. Slayers did not die peaceful, happy deaths. They died horrible deaths, filled with pain and fear. She was just another statistic in a line of Slayers who were not good enough to live another day.

Caleb moved forward, until he was standing directly underneath her. Her blood dripped down on his hair and he laughed as he wiped it off with his hands. "Too bad we can't let loose one of those vampires on her," he commented. "He'd have a lot of fun."

"It's not time for that yet," the First replied.

"I know," Caleb answered. "But can't you just imagine it?" He asked, smiling back at the apparition. "I know I'd enjoy it."

"I think that's what she wants," the First said. "For us to just kill her. To put her out of her misery. I don't know about you, but I don't really give a shit about what she wants."

"No," Caleb replied. "No, I don't either. If she wants to die, well, I say she'll live and suffer too."

"That's why I put you in charge, Caleb," the First said. "You're just so….cruel."

"I do try," Caleb said laughingly. "Come on, I think she needs some alone time."

Hailey watched them leave the room, unconsciously letting out a sigh of relief. She did not know if she could handle another round of torture. Every part of her body screamed in agony. Blood was caked over her face and wounds, fresh blood running over the old, and creating a noxious smell of decay. _Hailey…_a voice whispered in her head. "Dawn," Hailey whispered to herself, painfully dragging her cracked and bloody lips in a broken smile.

_We're at the door of the vineyard. Just hang on_, Dawn's voice echoed through her mind. While Hailey was relieved that her friends were coming for her, a sudden wave of panic rushed through her as well. They could not fight Caleb, not on their own. "Be careful," she muttered.

………………………….

Buffy kicked open the door of the vineyard. Stairs immediately greeted her. "Okay, guys, it's go time. Be careful," she said. Creeping down the stairs, the group came to a main room at the bottom, which was filled around the edges with barrels of wine. Spike internally groaned. How a stockpile of alcohol sitting untouched in town had escaped him, he would never know.

"Well, well. Is this the cavalier rescue team?" Caleb asked, emerging from a side room. A group of Bringers follow directly behind him, as well as a group of vampires. Faith sighed in relief, not seeing any of the older, stronger vampires about which Andrew had warned Buffy. "You all must not care too much about that little bitch if this is all you brought."

"Is she here, Willow?" Buffy asked, looking over at her friend, but Willow had thrown down the map.

"She's here," Spike affirmed. "He's got her blood on his hands."

"Just give her to us and we'll walk out," Faith offered. "This doesn't have to be anything."

"Oh, I think it does," Caleb replied. "You're not walking out of here with her. In fact, I think you're all going to join her."

"I don't think so," Willow suddenly said. Buffy looked over at her and stepped back immediately. The redhead's hair was quickly turning black, her eyes filled with a darkness that only evil could produce.

"Willow," Faith hissed. "You have to stop."

"Not this time," Willow said. Thrusting her hands forward, Willow sent a spray of blue energy flowing from her fingertips like lightening bolts. The Bringers scattered, Caleb among them. The vampires were not so lucky. The bolt hit them, instantly turning them to dust.

"What?" Caleb wondered aloud.

"Get out," the First said, appearing next to him. "We can't fight her like this." Caleb nodded, escaping through a tunnel behind him, with the Bringers running after him. Willow's hair instantly returned to its normal shade, the witch shaking off the rest of the effects of her use of black magic.

"Where is she?" Willow asked, turning to Spike.

"Where's Dawn?" Buffy suddenly said, noticing her sister's absence.

"She's down here," Dawn suddenly said from the shadows of the doorway from which Caleb had entered the room.

"Are you sure?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Dawn said. "Buffy, Spike, keep Willow up here. Make sure no one comes down after us."

"But," Willow began.

"You're not going down there," Faith said.

"She's my girlfriend," Willow countered.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you kissed Kennedy," Dawn shot back.

"You shouldn't see her like this," Faith said, shooting Dawn a look. "I know a bit about torture. It's not something you want to witness first hand. Just stay here."

Faith and Dawn disappeared down another long stairway, into complete darkness. Finally, they reached the bottom, where two lone torches lit the room. Two doorways stood before them. "Which one?" Faith whispered over to Dawn.

"That one," Dawn replied, pointing towards the closest.

"Okay," Faith said, moving forward. She pushed the door open, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Together, she and Dawn stepped into the room, both covering their noses to stay the smell of blood and rot.

"God," Dawn said, suddenly seeing Hailey, where she was nearly crucified to the wall. Faith averted her eyes, looking to the ground and fighting the urge to vomit.

"Is she still alive?" She asked.

"Yes," Dawn replied breathlessly. "We have to get her down."


	37. Running

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"God," Dawn said, suddenly seeing Hailey, where she was nearly crucified to the wall. Faith averted her eyes, looking to the ground and fighting the urge to vomit.

"Is she still alive?" She asked.

"Yes," Dawn replied breathlessly. "We have to get her down."

Chapter Thirty-Six:

_"Why do you need for me to be a Slayer so badly?" Hailey yelled angrily. "What is that you want from me?"_

_"I want you to fulfill your destiny," Quentin replied evenly._

_"That's bullshit and you know it," Hailey said disgustedly, shaking her head. "I don't have a destiny. No one has a destiny. It's all bullshit."_

_"You were chosen because you're special," Quentin insisted._

_"I wasn't chosen for anything!" Hailey shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the room and Quentin cleared his throat._

_"For God sakes, keep your voice down," he commanded. "Do you want everyone in the building to know your business?"_

_"I'm not a little girl anymore, dad," Hailey sighed. "I don't believe in fairy tales."_

_"You have to keep training. One day it will happen for us," Quentin said logically._

_"Us?" Hailey asked. "What does any of this have to do with us? If I become a Slayer, it's me, not us. I'm the one who's going to be out there fighting and killing. Not you. You and all of these Watchers, all you do is sit around and try to control us like we're pawns on a chessboard."_

_"You don't know what you're talking about," Quentin replied, moving away from her._

_"Yes, I do," Hailey said, suddenly enlightened. "You don't give a shit about my destiny. This is all about you, isn't it? You just want to have a Slayer that you can control. That's why you want me to be chosen so badly."_

_"This institution has been here for thousands of years," Quentin erupted. "Slayers have stood beside their Watchers for thousands of years. Obeying dutifully. Following every instruction. Now all of the sudden these girls think that they can do whatever pops into their heads. That is not the case."_

_"You're sick," Hailey muttered, moving towards the door._

_Quentin reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him. "I will not see this institution crumble because some bitch can't get in line. And if you're chosen, I know that you will."_

………………………………………..

Hailey awoke to the feeling that someone was ripping out her insides. Her eyes flashed open and she felt as though she was falling. Suddenly, she found herself staring up at the ceiling. Faith's face appeared above her, worry creasing her skin. "You're okay," Faith murmured. "Just hang in there."

Hailey wanted to respond, but found no words. Every thought had been scattered away by the pain wrenching through her midsection. Her stomach was seizing up, threatening to expel whatever was left in her body. "Fuck," she whispered.

"Hey," another voice said. Hailey shifted her eyes to the right and saw Dawn's face appear. "Is it okay if we move you?"

"I heard you," Hailey choked out, blood bubbling up through her lips. Faith reached down and wiped the blood away from her chin. Hailey felt something wet hit her cheek and noticed that Faith was crying.

"You heard me?" Dawn asked in surprise. "I knew it," she muttered.

"I knew you were coming," Hailey murmured. "I'm so cold."

"It's okay," Faith said, pulling Hailey into her arms and cradling her against her chest to warm her clammy skin.

"What did he do to her? What happened to her hands?" Dawn asked lowly, surveying the broken Slayer.

"I don't know," Faith whispered in reply. "It looks like he pulled out her fingernails."

"Get me out of here," Hailey muttered against Faith's chest. "I don't like it very much down here."

Faith choked down a sob that emerged from her throat as an indistinguishable, strangled sound. "We're going to take you to the hospital, okay?"

"Where's Caleb?" Hailey asked as Faith lifted her in her arms. The dark haired Slayer and Dawn quickly exited the room, practically running back up the stairs. They could smell blood everywhere. The stench of death lingered in the rooms below and they both felt the need to breathe fresh air again.

"Willow scared him away," Dawn answered.

"Willow's here?" Hailey asked, looking up at Faith.

"You know what happened wasn't her fault," Faith said. "Kennedy came on to her."

"Didn't look like she minded from where I was standing," Hailey replied.

"She loves you," Dawn added emphatically.

"I don't really care," Hailey said lowly. "I don't care about anything anymore," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Hailey," Faith said, looking down at her. "Open your eyes, baby."

"Is she okay?" Dawn asked.

"She's unconscious," Faith said. "She's in bad shape, Dawnie. I'm not so sure she's going to make it."

"Oh God," Willow said when she saw Faith carrying Hailey into the room. "Is she…?" She asked, her legs weakening beneath her. She fell to the floor, her knees crashing hard on the stone. Tears flooded her eyes until she could not see anymore.

"Will?" Buffy asked, kneeling beside her friend. "You have to get up."

"I can't," Willow replied shakily.

"She's alive," Buffy said. "But we have to get to a hospital."

"Come on, Red," Spike said, taking her by one of the arms while Buffy lifted her by the other. "She needs you to be strong right now."

"How could someone do that to her?" Willow asked as Buffy and Spike led her out of the vineyard. Dawn stood waiting for them outside.

"Where's Faith?" Buffy asked.

"She took off with Hailey," Dawn said, indicating to Faith's figure as it disappeared into the night. "She didn't think Hailey could afford to wait."

"Some people are just evil," Spike said. "They don't need a reason to be. It just comes naturally to them. No matter how many monsters we kill, no matter how many demons, there will always be people who are evil at heart."

"How do you stop those people?" Willow sobbed. "How can you stop someone from hurting the people you love?

"You can't," Spike replied sympathetically. "It's not up to you."

"I love her so much," Willow said. "And I fucked everything up. This wouldn't have happened if not for me."

"You don't know that," Spike replied emphatically. "We all have a destiny, Red. Maybe this is Hailey's."

"To suffer needlessly at the hands of a depraved maniac?" Willow said incredulously. "Why would the Powers that Be give someone that destiny?"

"No one can know why things happened, Willow," Spike said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You just have to trust that there's a reason for everything."

………………………………..

Faith ran. She ran harder than she had ever run in her life. Even when Kakistos was hot on her trail, stalking her across the country, she had never run as hard or as fast. Hailey had lost too much blood. Faith knew that. She could smell death surrounding her friend. It permeated her being. Blood was caked all over her skin on top of blood that had already dried. Her breathing was slowing with every second. But Faith was not going to stop running. She had lost too many people in her life and she was not going to lose Hailey as well.

"Hang in there, sheriff," she whispered. The lights of the hospital came into view. She pushed her already straining legs harder, willing them to go faster. Pushing open the emergency room doors, she collapsed on the floor with Hailey still in her arms. Several nurses rushed over to them.

"What happened?" One of them asked, as someone wheeled over a gurney and several pairs of hands lifted Hailey out of Faith's arms.

"Someone kidnapped her," Faith said. "I helped her escape. Please," she said, grabbing one of the nurses' arms. "Don't let her die."

"We'll do everything that we can," the nurse said, smiling softly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Faith murmured. "I just need to rest for a minute." The nurse nodded and moved away. Faith crawled to her feet and moved over to one of the waiting room chairs as the nurses ushered away Hailey. Her heart was pounding in her chest, desperately trying to pump blood through her body. "I'm getting too old for this," she muttered.

The rest of the group found Faith sitting in the chair thirty minutes later, holding her head in her hands. "How is she?" Buffy asked, sitting down next to her girlfriend. Faith looked up at her and shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. Buffy could see tears in her lover's eyes. She had never seen Faith cry, but the dark haired Slayer's cheeks were wet with sadness. Buffy reached out and pulled Faith into a warm, loving embrace.

"It's okay, baby," she said.

"She's one of the only real friends I've ever had," Faith murmured into Buffy's hair. "I can't lose her."

"I know," Buffy consoled her.

Willow and Spike stood several feet away from the Slayers, both staring into the emergency room, wondering which room housed Hailey. "I'm sure she's going to be fine," Spike said finally.

"How can you be sure?" Willow asked doubtfully.

"She's a Slayer," Spike said. "Slayers are stronger than anyone can know."

"She's never going to want to see me again," Willow muttered angrily.

"You don't know that," Spike interjected.

"She saw me kissing another woman. If I would have seen that, I don't know that I would have given her another chance," Willow said.

"She may surprise you," Spike answered. "You may even surprise yourself."

……………………………

Hailey's eyes fluttered open. The curtains had been pulled over the window and small stream of sunlight crept into the room. She wiggled her toes and fingers, breathing a sigh of relief that she could still move. However, she regretted that movement instantly and bit her lip to keep from screaming out in pain. "Is anyone there?" She asked, her voice cracking and breaking.

"I'm here, love," Spike said, moving over to the bed.

"Water," Hailey muttered. Spike nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. He reappeared several moments later, carrying a glass of water.

"Drink it slowly," he said, lifting the glass to her lips as he sat in the chair next to her bedside. Hailey let the cool liquid slide down her raw, aching throat. After several gulps, Spike sat the water down on the nightstand.

"Where am I?" Hailey asked, her throat more conducive to speech after she had drunk.

"The hospital," Spike answered. "Faith carried you here."

"Where is Faith?" Hailey asked, memories flooding her mind of her rescue.

"She and the others are down in the cafeteria. They've been here with you the whole time," Spike said. "But they've gotta eat and I don't. So I stayed."

"How long have I been here?" Hailey asked in confusion.

"About a week," Spike answered. "The doctors were starting to worry that you weren't going to wake up."

"I'm kinda regretting that I did," Hailey muttered. "Everything hurts."

"We told them not to give you painkillers," Spike said apologetically.

"That's good," Hailey replied. "Of course, it's also incredibly painful."

"I'm sorry," he added.

"It's not your fault I was a druggie," Hailey replied. "Kinda regretting that choice too."

"Do you want me to get Willow for you?" Spike asked.

Hailey sighed, closing her eyes. "No," she replied after several moments. "I don't want to see her right now."

"She's worried sick about you," Spike replied. "She hasn't left your side."

"I can't deal with her, or Kennedy, or any of that mess right now," Hailey said softly. "Tell her not to come back."


	38. Closing In

Night Falls

Notes: Yeah, maybe I do get a kick out of torturing my characters…probably not healthy, huh?

Previously:

"Do you want me to get Willow for you?" Spike asked.

Hailey sighed, closing her eyes. "No," she replied after several moments. "I don't want to see her right now."

"She's worried sick about you," Spike replied. "She hasn't left your side."

"I can't deal with her, or Kennedy, or any of that mess right now," Hailey said softly. "Tell her not to come back."

Chapter Thirty-Seven:

"I heard you were awake," Faith said, lingering in the doorway of Hailey's hospital room. She was afraid to walk in and see her friend suffering.

"Word travels fast," Hailey muttered.

"Want me to open the curtains?" Faith asked.

"Get some of that California sunshine, right? Makes everything all better again?" Hailey replied, smiling lopsidedly, even though it hurt like hell to do.

Faith laughed and nodded, finally working up the courage to walk into the room. She stopped at the windowsill and threw open the heavy curtains. "Where'd Spike run off to?" She asked.

"He went back to the house through the sewers," Hailey answered.

"Blood run," Faith commented.

"Something like that," Hailey said. "I prefer not to know the specifics."

"He told me what you said," Faith stated. "About Willow."

Hailey sighed and looked out of the window, letting the sun burn her eyes. The sky was clear and blue. "I meant what I said," she finally said, after several moments of silence.

Faith nodded and sat down in the chair by the window. "Have you really thought it through?" She asked.

"Yes," Hailey replied.

"She loves you," Faith said.

"Sometimes love isn't enough," Hailey murmured.

"Love is always enough," Faith stated emphatically.

"Was it enough for you and Buffy back in the day?" Hailey shot back, even though she knew it would hurt Faith. Faith shook her head and rose to her feet angrily.

"Don't bring that shit up," she said. "It was different then."

"I shouldn't have said that," Hailey admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Why can't you give her another chance?" Faith questioned.

"It's not that I can't eternally," Hailey sighed. "It's just that I can't right now."

"It hurts too much," Faith stated.

"I fell hard for her, Faith," Hailey said softly. "Harder than I've ever fallen for anyone. I haven't been the monogamous type for a long time. But she changed that. She made me want to settle down and be with someone in a forever kind of way," she continued. "But to see her with someone else…. it just shattered all of that. I don't care if Kennedy started it. I don't care if it caught Willow by surprise and that's the only reason why she kissed her back. I just can't get that image out of my mind."

"I understand," Faith said. "I was never really the monogamous type either."

"Until Buffy," Hailey said smiling.

"Until Buffy," Faith concurred. "She blew into my life like a hurricane and ripped everything apart. It took a long time for me to put it all back together again. I know that if I saw her with another person I would lose it too, despite the circumstances."

"Relationships are fucked up things," Hailey said wearily.

"They are," Faith agreed. "But now that I'm in one, I can't see myself not being in one. I tried so hard not to need anything from anyone. I wanted to be self-sufficient. Never owe anyone anything so that I could never be disappointed."

"Or disappoint anyone," Hailey said, thinking of her father.

"Yeah," Faith replied. "But it's just so tiring living like that. Waking up with Buffy every morning, it beats the shit out of waking up cold and alone."

"I thought I was going to die," Hailey said softly. "I really thought he was going to kill me." Faith leaned back in her chair. A shadow fell across the room. The sun was starting to make its descent through the sky. "But when I thought about what I would do if I could get away, I couldn't feel anything. I didn't have any grand plan to forgive Willow and live happily ever after. Or hate Willow and gun for Kennedy. I felt nothing," she stressed. "It was almost as if being tortured was better than being home."

"You're going to have to face them both eventually," Faith said.

"I know," Hailey dismissed her. "I know what I'm going to say to Willow…eventually. But I have no idea what to say to Kennedy."

"Are you angry with her?" Faith asked.

"I don't even know," Hailey replied in confusion. "When I think back on it, I feel like it was all happening to someone else. But I think when I see her again, I'll be able to make my mind up about that question."

"I know that I'd be pissed," Faith said. "And I know what I do when I'm pissed. You can't attack her. You're so much stronger than her. It wouldn't be fair."

"Fuck fair," Hailey said angrily. "If the world was fair, it would be a much better place."

"I'm just saying, you're a Slayer now. There's some responsibility in that," Faith added. "We can't do things other people would do."

"I know that," Hailey muttered angrily. "Okay, so maybe I am pissed at Kennedy."

"I knew it," Faith said, smiling crookedly.

"And maybe I want to beat the shit out of her the next time I see her. I get that I can't though," Hailey continued. "Do you think Willow enjoyed it?" She asked softly.

"The kiss?" Faith questioned.

"Yeah," Hailey responded.

"I honestly don't know," Faith sighed. "Maybe she did. All I know is that she feels horrible for it. Whether or not she enjoyed it at the time, that has to count for something."

"I miss her," Hailey said, closing her eyes.

"I know," Faith replied, rising to her feet and moving over to the bed. She leaned over and gently kissed Hailey's forehead. "Get some rest, okay? Don't worry about anything else but getting better."

Hailey nodded as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Faith watched her for several long minutes before she quietly exited the room, gingerly closing the door behind her. "How is she?" Willow asked, standing nervously in the hospital corridor with her arms folded across her chest.

"She's pissed at you," Faith replied candidly. "And she's pissed at Kennedy. I think she may want to inflict bodily harm on the bitch." Willow nodded and looked down at the ground. "Hey," Faith said sympathetically, placing her finger underneath Willow's chin and gently lifting her head. "You know what the last thing Hailey said was?"

"What?" Willow asked hopefully.

"She said that she missed you," Faith replied. Willow smiled tentatively.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Faith affirmed. "I know this is hard. But you just have to give her some time. She'll let you see her soon."

"Okay," Willow nodded.

"Go home and get some rest, Red," Faith suggested. "I can stay here and look after her."

"What if Caleb comes back?" Willow asked fearfully.

"He won't touch her," Faith said. "I promise."

……………………………

Hailey fell into a restless, anxious sleep filled with dark images of death and suffering. The smell of the dank vineyard invaded her nostrils, a smell that was a mix of age, mold, and blood. Behind her eyelids played the story of her capture over and over again. She watched it with a certain detachment, examining the events as they repeated through her mind. She was a Slayer; she never should have allowed herself to be captured by the enemy. Her father had taught her better; yet, she was unprepared. After all of her training and studying, she found that she did not possess any knowledge to benefit her in her calling. She felt like a novice, careening through her destiny without control or certainty.

The images slowly began to change form, leaving the vineyard and entering the charred remains of the high school. She felt as though she was moving down the main hallway, propelled by some force that she could not see, even though part of her mind understood that she was simply dreaming. The stale smell of smoke overpowered the lingering smell of blood. She could taste ashes in her mouth. She reached the basement door and opened it. Suddenly, she found herself standing on a rocky ledge, overlooking a deep precipice. Below, she could hear chanting. She looked down and saw the light of hundreds of torches illuminating a downward trail crudely craved from stone.

At the bottom, with their backs to her, stood hundreds of the most disgusting, vile vampires she had ever seen. They had their fists raised in the air, chanting in some ancient, forgotten language. It sounded like a war chant. Hailey looked up and saw that the precipice was a valley between two rocky hills. On the other side, Buffy stood; Hailey knew that it was not the Slayer standing there, only the First Evil wearing the Slayer's face. The First smiled cruelly and raised its hand, silencing the vampires. "Soon," it whispered. "Soon."

Hailey's eyes flashed open. Without thinking, she tried to sit up in her hospital bed, but gasped and fell back against her pillow as pain crashed through her stomach. "Bloody hell," she muttered, gritting her teeth. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to ride out the pain, and tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. Finally, the pain subsided.

"Ah, you're awake," a doctor said, walking briskly into the room. Hailey opened her eyes and attempted to rub away her tears, only to scratch herself with the stiff bandages covering her fingers.

"Unfortunately," Hailey muttered in response.

The doctor laughed and casually sat down in the chair beside her bed. He held a clipboard and pen in his hands. "How are you feeling?"

"Everything hurts," Hailey acknowledged.

"Well, I must say, we've all been quite astonished at your progress. Your wounds are already starting to heal; some already have. It's quite remarkable," the doctor stated. "Your hands seem to be healing the slowest, however. Unfortunately, there's nothing that we can do for your pain without giving you drugs, which your family has specifically instructed us not to administer to you."

Hailey looked down at her bandaged hands and grimaced. She could clearly remembered Caleb wrenching her fingernails out with pliers. "Fingernails do grow back, right?" She asked hesitatingly.

"Yes," the doctor said, smiling. "Fingernails grow back. I wouldn't worry about that. But on another matter, the police are here. They want to ask you some questions about your kidnapper."

"The police?" Hailey asked in surprise. "Okay, that's fine," she said slowly. "Is there anyone else here for me?" She asked, fearing that the police would discover Faith in the hospital.

"Not at the moment," the doctor said. "I believe your sister was here earlier, but she left about twenty minutes ago."

"My sister?" Hailey asked.

"Yes, the dark haired girl," the doctor stated.

"Thanks," Hailey said, smiling a little. The doctor stood and prepared to leave. "You can send them in now if you want," she added. The doctor nodded and left the room. Moments later, two police officers entered the room.

"I can only imagine what you're going through right now," the first said, pulling out a pad and pen. "I'm sure your experiences are the last thing you want to talk about. But if you could give us some information about your kidnapper, it would help expedite the investigation immensely."

"Have you talked to anyone else?" Hailey inquired. The officer shook his head.

"Is there anyone else that we should talk to?" He returned. Hailey smiled and shook her head.

"No," she said. "So what is it that you want to know?"

…………………………………

Faith had ducked into the third floor stairwell moments after she saw the two police officers heading towards Hailey's room. She assumed that the police would want to talk to the other Slayer, but Faith had hoped that she would get lost in the shuffle. The police in Sunnydale seemed less than adept at their jobs. Often, Buffy and Faith would find the body of someone who had been killed by a vampire, but would never hear about it in the news, or read about it in the paper. Faith often wondered what the police did with those bodies – if they ever investigated the deaths, or if some other power was paying them to keep quiet about the supernatural things that occurred in town.

Faith sighed and rested her head against the wall. She could see Hailey's room through the window of the stairwell door. The officers had entered her room nearly twenty minutes prior. Faith wondered what the other girl was telling them. Would Hailey tell them the truth – that a preacher named Caleb had kidnapped and tortured her? Or would she invent some story to lead the cops on a wild goose chase for a fabricated kidnapper? Faith did not care which story Hailey settled on, so long as her story did not conflict with their ability to kill the sadistic preacher.

The sound of a door banging shut echoed through the stairwell. Faith would have ignored it, if not for the sudden silence that followed it. She had expected to hear footsteps. Cautiously creeping forward, she gripped the cool, metal handrail of the stairs, and peeked over the edge. Three Bringers were silently advancing up the stairs with their knives drawn. Faith bit her lip and glanced back the door. If Caleb was as smart as he liked to think, he would not send just three Bringers to finish off Hailey. He would have sent many more. Faith knew that she needed to go back to her friend, perhaps barricade herself in Hailey's room, and fight off the wave of attackers. But the police would certainly recognize her as the wanted inmate that had escaped from prison in Los Angeles. She would do no one any good back in jail. The Bringers were creeping closer. Faith's Slayer senses were spiking to near panic levels. She had to make her move.


	39. Blind Hate

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. They give me inspiration.

Previously:

Faith knew that she needed to go back to her friend, perhaps barricade herself in Hailey's room, and fight off the wave of attackers. But the police would certainly recognize her as the wanted inmate that had escaped from prison in Los Angeles. She would do no one any good back in jail. The Bringers were creeping closer. Faith's Slayer senses were spiking to near panic levels. She had to make her move.

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

At any moment, Faith knew that the Bringers steadily climbing the stairs would become aware of her presence. Yet, she hesitated. Looking back through the stairwell door, she saw the two police officers exiting Hailey's hospital room just in time. Breathing a sigh of relief, Faith cautiously moved towards the stairwell door. She quietly opened it, letting it softly click closed before she slipped into Hailey's room. The officers never noticed her presence. Faith suspected that they would never notice the presence of the Bringers either; black clothed, blind monks wondering the halls of Sunnydale General in broad daylight with shiny, silver knives.

Faith closed the door of the hospital room and locked it. She knew, however, that her actions would not prevent the Bringers from entering the room if they wished. Glancing around, she surveyed the room for something with which to block the door. "What's going on?" Hailey asked, trying desperately to sit up in her bed, only to fall back in pain again. She could see Faith's worry clearly on her face.

"Bringers are here," Faith replied honestly. "They've come to finish you off."

"Shit," Hailey muttered, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"Can you get up at all?" Faith asked hurriedly.

"I don't think so," Hailey replied, struggling to raise herself onto her elbows. "Everything hurts like hell."

"I understand," Faith said. She noticed the nightstand next to Hailey's bed. It was relatively light, but perhaps sturdy enough to block the door. Moving over to it, Faith lifted the nightstand, knocking all of the items off of it, and placed it against the door. It blocked the doorknob effectively, leaving Faith enough time to ponder her next move.

"How many Bringers were there?" Hailey asked.

"Three that I saw," Faith replied, moving back towards the injured girl. She could sense the Bringers closing in on the room. "But there's more," she added lowly. "I can feel them coming."

"So can I," Hailey muttered. "Damn!" She yelled. "I wish I could fight."

Faith cracked a smile, despite the heightened tension in the room. "Calm down, sheriff," she instructed. "The last thing I need is for you to pop your stitches and start bleeding all over the damn place."

"I know," Hailey replied grumpily. "You have any weapons?"

Faith shook her head. "I am the weapon." Suddenly, something smashed against the door. The wood buckled, but did not break.

"Isn't there security in this bloody?" Hailey questioned.

"I guess not," Faith said grimly. "I think you're going to find that not many people are so valiant as our friends. They see something going down and their first instinct is to run. Generally, they follow that instinct."

"Running sounds good right about now," Hailey said. "Too bad I can't."

"Fuck," Faith muttered. "I really need to work on that whole planning thing. We're sitting ducks."

"Call Buffy," Hailey said suddenly. "Get Willow down here."

"What?" Faith asked.

"She's the one that scared Caleb off, right?" Hailey asked. Faith nodded. "She can help us."

Faith rushed over to the telephone in the room and picked up the receiver. She dialed the number for Buffy's house and waited, impatiently tapping her foot as the Bringers banged on the door again. The wood cracked. "Come on," Faith muttered impatiently. Finally, Buffy picked up the phone. Hailey heard Faith rapidly explaining their dangerous situation to the other Slayer. Within moments, she had hung up, and smiled. "They're on their way," she said. The Bringers slammed into the door again. The door broke down the middle. Faith could see one of their faces peering through the crack in the door, the Bringer's blind eyes rolling around in his skull. "I'm gonna have to move you," Faith said, turning to Hailey. "You're an easy target there."

Hailey nodded, ripping her IV out of her arm. "Put me in the bathroom. I'll lock the door," she replied. Faith moved over to the bed and picked up the wounded Slayer. Hailey grimaced in pain, stifling a guttural moan. Faith deposited her on the bathroom floor, flashed her a quick smile, and closed the door. Reaching up, Hailey locked it and waited. Within moments, she heard the sounds of a struggle on the other side.

The Bringers crashed open the door and poured into the room; six of them, brandishing sharp knives. Faith knocked the first to the side, slamming his head against the wall. He fell to the floor, his knife flying out of his hands. Faith moved back into the room, picking up the knife. She felt better with a weapon in her hand. Another Bringer charged at her. Swiping the knife out in front of her, she caught him in the midsection. She grimaced as blood spilled forth from his chest. He fell to the ground and did not stand again. However, while she had been fighting him, another had moved to her side. Slashing his knife out, he caught her on the arm.

Faith groaned and stumbled back, lashing her foot out to knock the Bringer off of his feet. He fell to the floor, hitting his head on the hard tile. His eyes rolled back in his head and another Bringer trampled over top of him to reach the now injured Slayer. Two were down, unable to get back to their feet. Another was struggling to rise. Three were left with full strength, surrounding Faith like sharks circling their prey. She could feel their hatred pouring off of them. They wanted her dead. They began to move closer, slashing out at her with their knives. Faith loved being a Slayer; she pursued killing demons with a lustful zest. Under normal circumstances, she felt no fear in administering her duties. However, as the Bringers closed in on her, fear slowly began to creep up her throat, threatening to choke her, and drown out her courage.

Just as they were about to attack, the remains of the door blew into the room. Faith ducked, narrowly avoiding catching a piece of the wood in the face. Looking up, she saw the Bringers turn to face a new enemy. Willow walked into the room with Buffy close behind her. Willow's eyes had turned black, but her hair remained red. Though she was using black magic, she seemed to be in control of it. "You fucked around with the wrong people," the Wiccan growled, raising her hands. Pushing her fingers forward, she sent an invisible field of energy out towards the Bringers, knocking them off their feet. Buffy rushed into the room, attacking the first, which had been the man Faith knocked into the wall when the attack began. She instantly dispatched him, moving onto another.

Faith rose to her feet, brandishing her knife at the nearest enemy. He fell beneath her blade as the last fell beneath Buffy's. "Where's Hailey?" Buffy asked, glancing quickly around the room, and noticing that the younger girl was missing.

"In the bathroom," Faith replied breathlessly.

"You're injured," Buffy said, moving over to her girlfriend. Willow strode over to the bathroom door, her eyes turning green again as she knocked.

"Hailey?" She asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Hailey heard Willow's voice through the door and a lump formed in her throat. Her voice sounded beautiful. "Yeah," she said gravelly. "I'm okay."

"Can I come in?" Willow replied questioningly. Hailey leaned her head back against the wall. She did not know if she was ready to face her lover yet, she but knew that she had Willow to thank for saving her life.

"Yeah," she finally replied. Willow shouldered open the door and quickly entered the room. She closed the door over and moved towards Hailey.

"You're bleeding," Willow said worriedly.

Hailey looked down at her midsection and groaned. "Shit," she muttered. "I must have popped a stitch."

Willow moved closer and slowly knelt down beside her girlfriend. Hailey closed her eyes as Willow reached out and gingerly touched the side of her face with trembling fingers. Unconsciously, Hailey leaned into her touch. "Hailey…" Willow whispered desperately.

"Take me home," Hailey suddenly said, opening her eyes, and looking over at Willow sadly. "I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Okay," Willow said, looking down at the ground to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I know you don't want to hear what I have to say right now," she said lowly, "but I need to explain to you what happened."

Hailey nodded. "I know," she whispered.

"I can speak to the doctors if you want," Willow offered. "I'll try to convince them to release you."

"Thanks," Hailey said.

"You okay?" Faith asked, appearing in the doorway. Hailey nodded.

"They cut you," Hailey pointed out.

"I'll be alright," Faith said dismissively.

"What should we do with the bodies?" Buffy questioned, appearing behind Faith.

"Hide them somewhere," Faith suggested. "Let someone else find them."

Buffy nodded and moved towards the nearest Bringer. She lifted him from under his arms, her hands becoming slick with his blood. "Gross," she muttered.

"Let me help you back to the bed," Faith said, moving to Hailey, who was struggling to rise to her feet.

"I'll speak with your doctor," Willow said, moving out of the room before Hailey could see the tears spilling from her cheeks. She knew that her relationship with the younger girl was shaky at best, but she hoped that once Hailey heard her explanation of her kiss with Kennedy, she would forgive her. However, she could see the pain and sadness that dwelled deep within Hailey's eyes. Hailey had always had a lingering pain behind her eyes, but it was intensified, and whenever she looked at Willow, that pain was palpable.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Faith asked once Willow had left the room.

"What?" Hailey questioned.

"Talking to her," Faith replied.

Hailey sighed. "Harder than you'd think."

……………………………..

Faith sighed and closed the bedroom door behind her. It had been a long and difficult day. Her arm stung from the incised wound inflicted upon her by one of the Bringers. Pulling her shirt over her head, she inspected her bandage. "You okay?" Buffy asked, slipping into the room behind her.

"Five by five," Faith said, flashing Buffy infamous cocky grin.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'll take that to mean it hurts, but you're too proud to admit it."

"Take it as you will," Faith offered, laughing a little as Buffy smiled. Faith watched her girlfriend as her eyes slowly traveled from the dark haired Slayer's face, down her neck, across her collarbone, down her full breasts, and settled on her tanned, tight stomach. "Like what you see?" Faith flirted.

"Yeah, I do," Buffy said as she moved over to Faith and unconsciously licked her lips. Faith could feel the heat emanating from the other Slayer and found herself instantly flushed with desire. "You remember how I said that I was ready to _really_ be with you?" Buffy asked huskily as she stopped within inches of her girlfriend. Faith found herself transfixed by Buffy's intense, lustful gaze. She had never felt vulnerable with anyone before, but she found herself feeling incredibly vulnerable at that moment. However, she believed that she was ready to start breaking down her walls.

"I remember," Faith finally replied, her voice low and rough with desire.

"Is now a good time for you?" Buffy asked, leaning forward. She nibbled on the tender flesh of Faith's neck, her tongue flicking out periodically to lick patterns across her skin. Faith moaned, closed her eyes, and leaned back against a bureau. Buffy took advantage of Faith's position to press her body against the other Slayer's. She could feel Faith's heart beating wildly in her chest and the strength of her muscles as her arms moved to encircle Buffy's waist.

Faith's eyes fluttered open and she cupped Buffy's face, staring deeply into her lover's eyes. "I want you," she whispered desperately as their lips crashed together and they fell onto their bed.

………………………

"This is infinitely better than those bloody hospital sheets," Hailey murmured as she wrapped herself in the cool, soft sheets of her bed – the bed that she had been sharing with Willow, prior to her abduction. The sheets smelled like her girlfriend, a lingering scent of strawberries. Hailey closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, savoring the scent. The smell evoked memories of their time together, of gentle kisses shared in the dark night, and intense gazes of desires passed as they listened to Buffy's speeches. Hailey missed those moments. A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah?" She asked, struggling to sit up in her bed. Finally, she propped herself against her pillow and waited. Willow slowly opened the door and stepped inside of the room.

"You have everything that you need?" The witch asked cautiously.

"I think so," Hailey replied evenly.

"Wesley restitched you?" Willow asked.

"He did a better job than those bloody doctors," Hailey muttered, glancing down at her stomach. Willow smiled slightly.

"Okay," she said. "I just wanted to make sure that you were settled." She moved to leave the room and Hailey felt a pang of sadness strike her heart.

"Where are you sleeping?" She asked, partly because she was curious, and partly to keep Willow from leaving.

"In Dawn's room," Willow replied, turning to face Hailey again. Hailey nodded, unsure of what to say next.

"Is there anything else?" Willow asked hopefully. Hailey sighed.

"You said that you wanted to explain things to me," she said softly, looking down at her hands. She needed to change the bandages covering her fingers. She could see specks of blood staining the gauze, where her fingernails had once been. The soft, vulnerable nail beds throbbed intensely.

"I do," Willow said, taking a step forward, back into the room.

"So explain them to me," Hailey stated. "I think I'm ready to hear."

Willow nodded, her heart beating erratically in her chest. She could feel her palms slicken with moisture. She was nervous as hell. She knew that her entire relationship with Hailey depended upon what she said. She had to find the right words or she could lose everything about which she cared. When she had first met Hailey, she was uncertain whether she could love anyone again after Tara. However, with time, she had realized that, while Tara would always remain in her heart, there was space for Hailey too. She loved the girl lying in front of her and wanted desperately to convey that love in a way that would secure her forgiveness. Willow breathed deeply and closed the bedroom door, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Finally she spoke, "I can only explain to you what happened; what I felt; and why it occurred. I can't make you forgive me. I can only hope that you will…"


	40. The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Night Falls

Notes: Again, thanks for all of the reviews. They mean a lot. Also, I get the whole idea that the First Evil is supposed to be invisible and therefore can't be touched, or touch anything. But to be perfectly honest, not having the First Evil touch anything is really freakin' difficult. So forgive me if I screw that up a bit. This note should make more sense later on.

Previously:

Finally Willow spoke, "I can only explain to you what happened; what I felt; and why it occurred. I can't make you forgive me. I can only hope that you will…"

Chapter Thirty-Nine:

Willow paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before she continued. Hailey remained silent, watching the witch intently. She could see a myriad of emotions passing across the older girl's face, from sadness to resignation to hope. "I guess I should start at the beginning," Willow resumed. "Almost as soon as Kennedy arrived here, she started pursuing me. She was young, beautiful, and arrogant. I was attracted to her, but I wasn't ready to begin another relationship. The pain of Tara's death was still lingering in my heart. I suppose that it always will, but I could feel it more strongly then. I rebuffed her advances, though I think she knew that I felt something for her as well."

"Then you showed up. You and Kennedy are really quite similar. You both knew what you wanted and went after it. But you understood me in a way that Kennedy couldn't; maybe because you had lost someone as well, but maybe just because you have some wisdom about you that Kennedy will never possess," Willow explained. Her eyes were hazy with remembrance. Hailey waited for her to continue. "When I think back on everything, I realize how incredibly unfair I was to Kennedy. I just dropped her like I had never felt anything for her at all. You captivated me."

"I began my relationship with you and forgot completely about her. But I suppose somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that she was still there, still harboring feelings for me. I guess I thought that she would get over them eventually and move on; but she didn't. I should have known that she would try to make a move on me sometime. Honestly, that's all that happened," Willow said, looking over at Hailey with wet eyes.

Their eyes met and, for a moment, Hailey felt like things between them could return to the way that they had been prior to Willow's indiscretion. "That night, I was furious at Kennedy for hitting you. I thought she was completely out of line. When I saw her standing outside, I knew that I had to talk to her before her feelings got out of control. I went outside and told her what I thought, but she wouldn't hear it. I guess she thought I was coming out to support her. I didn't realize what she was doing until her lips were on mine."

Willow paused for a moment and looked down at her hands shamefully. "I have to admit that I kissed her back," she said softly. Hailey fought the urge to comment, biting her tongue to stay herself from saying something that she knew she would regret. "But my kissing her back was simply a product of surprise, not any feelings for her. Those feelings died the moment I met you, Hails," Willow said tearfully, rising from the bed, and pacing in front of it. "I love you so much and it's killing me to think that this one, stupid mistake could ruin everything that we have. I know that you're angry with me. You have every right to be. I'm not trying to dispute that. But please forgive me," she begged, turning back to the injured Slayer. "I don't want to start over. I don't want to pretend like this never happened. I know that it did and I know that I have to deal with it. But if we can get passed this, I know that we'll be together for a long time."

Silence filled the room – a stifling silence that seemed to permeate every cell in Hailey's body. Willow was standing in the shadows of the room, the moonlight of the night outside failing to reach her face. But Hailey could feel the witch's eyes searching hers, studying her reaction to her words. In Hailey's mind, an emotional roller coaster was spinning around and around. Jealousy told her to be angry and vengeful for Willow's infidelity. It told her to lash out at the red haired girl and hurt her the way in which she had been hurt. But another part of her told her that the words that Willow had spoken were true. She knew that Willow loved her, just like she knew that Willow did not possess any amorous feelings for Kennedy.

"I know you need to think about things," Willow said, moving silently towards the door.

"Will," Hailey replied, stopping the girl in her tracks. "Just give me one night, okay? I'll have an answer for you tomorrow."

"Am I going to like it?" Willow asked, desperately wanting to know what her girlfriend was thinking. Hailey smiled a little. Willow never did like surprises.

"I think you might," she said, watching as a brilliant smile lit up Willow's face for a brief moment.

"Okay," she said, opening the bedroom door. "Goodnight." She closed the door behind her and Hailey could hear her footsteps receding lightly down the hallway, the pain and sadness Willow had been experiencing absent from her movements.

Hailey sighed and looked out of the window. Day had surrendered to a cool, clear night. The moon was shining through the glass, casting pale shadows in the room. Vaguely, Hailey could see stars twinkling in the black. Though the night was calm and beautiful, she could feel evil growing upon her mind. It occurred to her that all of Sunnydale was a guise for evil. Even the moon shimmered mysteriously, protecting those who walked the night. But that sense of evil was growing. It seemed to draw nearer and nearer. She felt a steady panic rise in her heart. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her frantic mind. She knew that her fears were a byproduct of her kidnapping and the torture inflicted upon her at the hands of Caleb.

She knew that she needed time to heal, but one thought pressed constantly on her mind. She desperately wanted to kill the monster that had caused her such pain. She knew that Caleb was strong, but he relied on tricks and the power of others. Without the First Evil, Caleb would be helpless. Similarly, without his Bringers, he would have to rely on his own strength. He had only been able to capture Hailey by poisoning her. Given a second chance, she knew that she could destroy him. Two other thoughts pressed on her mind as well. When Faith had carried her into the house, which had been miraculously cleared of the other girls, Hailey had seen two, large boxes sitting in the foyer. She knew what rested inside of them and she was anxious to open them.

Secondly, before she had been kidnapped, a glimmer of an idea had surfaced in her mind. It had been the same day that she had discovered Willow kissing Kennedy. She had been training the girls in the backyard and had spoken to Willow about their progress. Though she noted that the girls were more than adept at fighting and defending themselves, they would do little good because they were not Slayers. Hailey knew that magics were very dark and dangerous things; especially the black magics that she assumed would be necessary to realize her idea. No matter how strong and powerful they were, an army of _potential_ Slayers was one thing; but an army of _Slayers_ would be something else entirely.

………………………………….

"I wish we could see her," Colleen said miserably.

"I know," Spike replied wearily.

"I just want to know that she's okay," Colleen continued. "I can't believe they attacked her at the hospital."

"She's alright," Spike reassured the worried Potential. The rest of the girls were upstairs in the living room, most likely carrying on the same conversation that Colleen was virtually having by herself in the basement with Spike. Maria sat next to her, but was silent as usual. Though Spike had wanted peace and quiet, he also understood the girl's need to talk about her concern for Hailey. However, she talked a great deal.

"But how do you know that?" Colleen questioned. "Caleb tortured her. She's got to have some kind of psychological damage as a result of that."

Spike looked down at her in surprise. "Psychological damage, huh, kiddo?" He asked, laughing a little. "When'd you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart," Colleen said moodily. "It's just that no one ever notices."

Spike often forgot that the girls living in the Summers' house had been completely uprooted from their lives in order to seek the protection of the Slayers. He wondered what Colleen's life had been like before the First Evil conceived of its idea to destroy the Slayer line. "Why do you all like her so much better than the others?" Spike asked suddenly. He had noticed that most of the Potentials preferred Hailey to Buffy or Faith, even though the latter girls were more experienced Slayers.

"She's one of us," Colleen said shrugging.

"But she's not anymore," Spike argued back.

Colleen smiled. "Buffy and Faith were never Potentials. They were normal girls who were called to be Slayers. The rest of us, on the other hand," she said, "were taken from our homes, told that we were different, and trained from day one. We never really got the privilege of a normal life. I was taken from my parents when I was five."

"Really?" Spike asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Colleen replied. "I don't even remember my parents. All I remember is training. Hailey is just like us. She was picked at an early age, trained to fight and kill, and grew up constantly monitored and watched by an organization that she probably didn't fully understand. I know that I didn't. I just went along with it because I didn't know any better. The only difference between her and the rest of us is that she graduated to the next level."

"That's one way of putting it," Spike said.

"I know Buffy and Faith don't want us seeing Hailey because they want to try to protect us from what being a Slayer really means," Colleen continued. "But we all know that Caleb really fucked her up."

"You're right," Spike agreed. "Buffy and Faith are just trying to protect you all. They don't want you to lose hope."

"The thing is," Colleen said, "seeing her wouldn't make us lose hope. It would only strengthen our resolve to work harder so that we can stop the First from hurting anyone else."

"You know," Spike said thoughtfully, "when you Potentials first started coming here, I thought all of this was going to end horribly. I thought it was the biggest, bloody mistake bringing a bunch of teenage girls without any powers to Sunnydale to fight the First Evil. But I can see now how wrong I was. You all do have power. Maybe not the same as a Slayer," he added. "But power none the less."

Colleen smiled. "Can you at least give her a message for us?" She asked.

Spike nodded. "What?"

"Just tell her that we've got her back. The only thing we want her worrying about is healing," Colleen explained. Spike smiled.

"I'm sure that'll help her sleep better at night."

"Si," Maria said suddenly. "Become better soon," she added, struggling to find the words to express her thoughts.

"Since when does she speak English?" Spike questioned.

"I've been teaching her," Colleen replied.

Spike laughed. "You guys really are something."

………………………………

The girls had finally settled down. Most of them were drifting off to sleep. Giles and Wesley sat at the dining room table, both nursing migraines produced from having to answer the same questions over and over again by every girl curious about Hailey's condition. "I should probably change her bandages," Wesley commented. He stood, about to walk towards the stairs, when he heard a noise outside. "Did you…"

"Yes," Giles replied, rising to his feet. Moving towards the front door, both men prepared themselves for the worst. "It could just be a Bringer," Giles offered.

"Or it could be a Turok-Han vampire," Wesley countered.

"Or worse, it could be Caleb himself," Giles said as both men noticeably blanched.

"Should we get the Slayers?" Wesley asked.

"No," Giles replied. "For all we know, it could just be a cat."

"We're not that lucky," Wesley mumbled.

"Open the door, I'll be ready to attack," Giles instructed, raising his fists defensively. Wesley nodded and reached for the doorknob.

"Ready?" He asked. Giles nodded.

He yanked open the door, prepared to fight. "Hello?" A girl asked anxiously, standing on the porch. She saw the two men and relaxed. "Sorry to wake you," she added. "But I was told to come here."

"Ah," Giles said, relief evident in his voice. "Another Potential."

"Come in," Wesley said politely. The girl smiled widely and walked into the foyer, eyeing the wooden crates sitting to her left suspiciously before she turned back to the Watchers.

"So," she said conversationally, "this is where the Slayers live?"


	41. Relationships

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"Ah," Giles said, relief evident in his voice. "Another Potential."

"Come in," Wesley said politely. The girl smiled widely and walked into the foyer, eyeing the wooden crates sitting to her left suspiciously before she turned back to the Watchers.

"So," she said conversationally, "this is where the Slayers live?"

Chapter Forty:

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon in a lazy display of phosphorescent gold. Faith sat in the corner of the room, her knees pressed against her chest, watching as the light spilled over onto the bed sheets that were draped across Buffy's naked body. Her chest rose and fell with deep, slow breaths as she dreamed. Faith wondered about what she was dreaming. The light failed to reach Faith's face. It seemed to skirt around her, as if it were afraid to touch her. She felt the unmistakable urge to smoke a cigarette; maybe because after all of her other previous sexual encounters, she had always needed the bitter taste of smoke to drown out the bitter taste of her self-revulsion.

However, as she sat watching Buffy sleep, she did not feel the usual self-revulsion that followed sex. She felt completely at ease, sated, and loved. That thought alone terrified her beyond any demon of which she could conceive. Perhaps that was why she wanted to smoke a cigarette. She loved Buffy more than she had loved anyone in her life. She knew that Buffy loved her. But the thought of a normal life, living with the person she loved, in happiness, was a particularly scary notion. She smiled as she watched Buffy sleep. Though she wanted to be lying next to her, pressing the blonde's body against her own, and running her fingers down the tender flesh of Buffy's arm, she was perfectly content studying her lover.

"She's beautiful," a voice said. Faith closed her eyes and smiled when she heard it, even though she knew that it was not real.

"I know," Faith replied honestly.

"You done good for yourself, kiddo," the man said, walking into the light. A tear escaped from one of Faith's tightly closed eyes. "Aw, now don't do that."

"I'm not allowed to cry for you?" Faith asked, opening her eyes, and wiping away her tears.

"No," the man replied. "I'm won't have it. My girl is never supposed to cry."

"Why's that?" Faith asked with a smile in her voice.

"Because my girl is gonna be the happiest girl in the world," the man answered. Faith could see his face fully now as the sun filtered into the room. His blue eyes were twinkling and his stubbly lips curled up in a good-natured grin. His brown hair was messily curled in locks that rested on his forehead.

"Daddy," Faith whispered. "When did you die?"

"That ain't important," he said dismissively. "And don't go feelin' sorry for me now, either. Death ain't that bad thing that everyone always says it is. It's actually kinda nice."

"Yeah?" Faith asked.

"Well," her father said, moving closer. "You don't have to get up in the mornin' before the damn sun and walk a mile to a factory where you make shit an hour and come home with dirt smeared all over your face."

"You saying that you're in heaven, then, daddy?" Faith questioned.

The man thought for a moment and nodded. "If there is a heaven, than I suppose I'm in it. If there ain't, well, it's the next best thing."

"I know what you are," Faith said soberly. "I know you're just pretending to be someone I care about."

"Maybe I am," her father acknowledged. "But then maybe you can just pretend along with me for a while, yeah?"

"Maybe I can," Faith replied.

"So what's her name?" He asked, sitting in a chair across from her.

"Buffy," Faith responded. "But you already know that."

"That's an interesting name," he stated.

"She was born in L.A.," Faith said, as if that explained everything.

"The city of angels," he said humorously.

"So why are you here?" Faith questioned.

"Just checkin' up on my girl, that's all," he said. Faith smiled sadly. "Well, I gotta be goin', kiddo. But don't you go worryin' now, I'll be back."

The man disappeared and Faith found herself staring at an empty chair. Buffy stirred, groaned, rolled over, and stretched. "Who were you talking to?" She asked, sitting up in bed, and wrapping a sheet around her body.

"My father," Faith said lowly, shifting her gaze to the world awakening outside of her window.

"The First," Buffy clarified.

"Same thing," Faith answered. Buffy rose from the bed, moving over to her girlfriend.

"What can I do?" She asked, kneeling in front of her.

"What do you mean?" Faith replied, her eyes focused on the sun as it rose in the sky.

"Seeing him hurt you," Buffy stated. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I haven't seen him in a long time," Faith said distantly. "I didn't know that he had died."

"You don't have to suffer alone," Buffy whispered.

"So I should let you suffer with me?" Faith replied sarcastically, though she smiled.

"Yes," Buffy said, smiling back. "That what you do in one of these things."

"What things?" Faith asked, finally shifting her gaze to Buffy's face.

"Relationships."

……………………..

Hailey had slept uneasily during the night; plagued by nightmares of an unseen, but powerful evil that seemed to hover over the house. She awoke as the sun was steadily rising in the sky, but the feeling did not subside. Instead, the feeling seemed to grow stronger. Her head buzzed and her limbs ached to help ward off the evil she felt sure was lurking in every shadow. "I'm just being paranoid," she muttered as she struggled to sit up in the bed. Though she was still in a great deal of pain, she found that she was healing very quickly. Being a Slayer did have its benefits, despite the many drawbacks. Once she was in a seated position, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She had not changed clothes in a several days, or showered, and found that the ripe smell invading her nostrils was indeed coming from her.

"I can do this," she whispered determinedly. She tried to grip the nightstand to pull herself to her feet, forgetting momentarily that she no longer possessed fingernails, and an intense wave of pain quickly reminded her. "Okay," she said, soothing her inflamed fingers, "that was a mistake. I'm sorry."

A knock on the door stalled her progress and a familiar face entered the room. "Hey," Spike said, walking up to her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I wanted to take a shower," Hailey replied. "But getting up has proven to be rather difficult."

"Want some help?" He offered. Hailey flashed him a grateful smile.

"You're not here to tell me that I need to lay down, rest, and gather my strength?" Hailey replied amusedly.

"No," Spike answered as Hailey wrapped her arm around his shoulder. She found it much easier to stand while leaning on Spike, who helped navigate her to the door. "Who am I to tell you what to do or not to do? Besides, if I know you half was well I think I do, I know you'll nod and smile to my advice, and then do whatever the hell you feel like behind my back anyway."

"You've really got me pegged," Hailey said dryly.

"You're not too hard to figure out," Spike pointed out. "Once you get down to it." They reached the bathroom and Spike flipped on the light. "You got it from here?"

"I think so," Hailey said. "Do you think you could grab some fresh clothes for me?"

"Absolutely," Spike said. "I'll just set them inside the door."

Hailey smiled as Spike left the room and turned her attention to the shower. Peeling off her clothes, she let them fall to the white, tile floor. She stepped into the shower and turned on the faucet, shrieking slightly as a blast of cold water poured onto her body. Finally, she adjusted the temperature to a suitable degree. Showering also proved to be rather difficult, considering the number of bandages covering various parts of her body – bandages she was almost certain were not supposed to be showered upon. She found clothes waiting for her inside of the door, as Spike had promised, and quickly dressed. She opened the door again to find Spike standing outside, waiting for her.

"What a gentleman," Hailey commented.

"I assumed that if you needed help getting into the bathroom," he said, "you'd need help getting to wherever else it is that you're planning on going."

"Food would be nice," Hailey replied. "I was thinking of going to the kitchen."

"Ah," Spike nodded. "But the kitchen is downstairs."

"That it is," Hailey said, leaning on Spike for support as he led her down the hallway towards the stairs.

"Stairs are going to be a step more difficult for you," Spike replied.

"I'm up for the challenge," Hailey bantered back. They reached the stairs and Hailey looked down them warily. "There's a lot of them."

"I thought you were up for the challenge," Spike teased.

"I don't remember there being so many stairs," Hailey continued.

"One at a time, alright?" Spike said, stepping down onto the first stair. He held his hand out for her, which she carefully took. It was a slow process, but finally, they reached the bottom. Hailey felt nearly out of breath. "Unfortunately," Spike said, "this is as far as I can take you. Kitchen is a bit off limits for me during the day. Lots of windows."

"Thanks," Hailey replied gratefully. "I really needed the help."

"You good from here?" Spike questioned.

"I think so," Hailey answered.

"Good," Spike said, moving away. "I'll be in the basement if you need anything. Oh," he added, "I almost forgot. Colleen and Maria wanted me to give you a message."

"What's that?" Hailey asked curiously.

"Colleen said that she and the rest of the girls have got your back, so don't worry about anything. And Maria said to get well soon, more or less," Spike recited.

"She speaks English now?" Hailey asked in surprise.

"Colleen has been teaching her," Spike answered as he walked away.

Hailey smirked and looked towards the kitchen door, which seemed rather far. Sighing, she pressed forward, slowly walking until she reached the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. "Hold up," Xander said, immediately rushing to her side. "Should you be walking around?"

"I was kinda hungry," Hailey said. "But that was a while ago. Now I'm kinda starving. So unless someone was planning on bringing me something, I thought I'd have to come down here to get it."

"Good point," Xander said. "So," he added, flashing her a crooked grin, "what'll it be?"

"What're you making?" Hailey replied. "I could eat anything right about now."

"Pancakes and eggs are on the menu, according to Dawnie," Xander said. "Or she who dictates what I make in the morning."

"Pancakes and eggs it is," Hailey said, smiling.

"You're lucky," Xander added. "The breakfast rush hasn't begun yet."

Hailey watched Xander prepare breakfast. She shifted her gaze to the kitchen window, struck by a bitter feeling in her gut. She could almost see Kennedy kissing Willow again. The kitchen door swung open and Willow walked inside, pausing when she saw Hailey. "Yes, I should be up, yes, I should be walking around, and no, I'm not going to go lay back down again," Hailey ranted, holding up a hand to silence the witch as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Okay," Willow replied nervously, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Hailey sighed, knowing that Willow wanted an answer – whether she would take her back or not. "You want to sit down?" Hailey asked, motioning to an empty chair beside her. Willow smiled.

"Yeah," she said, sitting next to her girlfriend.

"Xander's making pancakes and eggs," Hailey explained. "I'm not so sure he knows what he's doing," she added in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Me neither," Willow whispered back. "How're you feeling this morning?"

"Better," Hailey replied honestly. "I think everything's going to be okay from now on."

"Yeah?" Willow asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Hailey responded, gazing into Willow's emerald eyes. "I want to make this work. I'm not saying that I won't get pretty damn pissed the next time I see Kennedy," she said. "But I love you. And I know that you love me. That's all that really matters."

Willow smiled brilliantly and gently took one of Hailey's hands in her own. "Just tell me when to hold you back," she joked. Hailey laughed.

"You might be doing that a lot."


	42. Guns and Promises

Night Falls

Notes: Again, thanks for the reviews. And thanks for sticking with the story; I know I tend to write long ones.

Previously:

"Yeah," Hailey responded, gazing into Willow's emerald eyes. "I want to make this work. I'm not saying that I won't get pretty damn pissed the next time I see Kennedy," she said. "But I love you. And I know that you love me. That's all that really matters."

Chapter Forty-One:

The girls had been excited to see Hailey sitting in the kitchen when they entered for what Xander had dubbed "the breakfast rush." Though Hailey had been happy to see them as well, she felt uncomfortable under the spotlight. She would always relate better to them than Buffy or Faith because she had been a Potential Slayer for her whole life. But she was a Slayer now and that made her different. The girls could see it in Hailey's eyes. Something else lingered there now; something dangerous lurking under the surface that was waiting with bated breath to break free.

The one person, however, that Hailey had been waiting to see with a mix of dread and morbid anxiety was not among the girls that ate with she and Willow. After they had cleaned up, the girls went into the backyard to train with Giles and Wesley, leaving Willow and Hailey alone in the kitchen. "Where was she?" Hailey asked lowly.

"In the doorway," Willow said, nodding to the figure of Kennedy, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Hailey turned and saw the younger girl. She looked scared. In that moment, Hailey realized something very important. She really was no longer a Potential. She was a Slayer and it was her duty to protect all of the girls, even Kennedy. Without warning, she started laughing, despite the concerned and confused looks that Willow and Kennedy shot her. She continued laughing until her stomach hurt, tears were streaming down her eyes, and she could not breath. Finally, her laughter subsided and she wiped her face.

"Sorry," she murmured embarrassedly. "I have no idea what that was about." She felt infinitely better, as though a great weight had been lifted from her chest.

"It's okay," Willow said, gazing at her worriedly.

"Shouldn't you be out there training with the others?" Hailey asked Kennedy. The younger girl nodded.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Why aren't you?" Hailey questioned.

"I figured you would have something to say to me," Kennedy answered warily. "Look, just give it to me straight. I overstepped my bounds. Willow is with you. I should have realized that. And because of me, Caleb kidnapped you. I couldn't apologize enough for that if I tried. So whatever you have to say just say it."

Hailey smiled slightly and stepped forward. "Do I have to hold you back?" Willow whispered.

"No," Hailey whispered back. "Kennedy…to be honest, I thought that when I saw you, I would want to kill you. Funny thing is, I really don't. I kinda think getting kidnapped and tortured was good for my development. I guess what I'm trying to say is…I get it. If she was with you, I wouldn't have stopped trying either. So let's call a truce, okay?"

Kennedy grinned and looked down at the ground a moment before stepping forward and accepting Hailey's outstretched hand. "Okay," she replied.

"Now get out there with the others," Hailey instructed. Kennedy nodded and slipped out of the backdoor.

"That was very mature of you," Willow commented.

"Well, I figured it was about time I started growing up," Hailey shot back.

"What're you doing up?" Faith asked as she and Buffy finally made their way into the kitchen.

"Getting on with my life," Hailey answered. Buffy shot Willow a look and the witch flashed her a rather indiscreet thumbs up. "What's with that?" Hailey asked.

"Just wanted to make sure 'getting on with my life' meant that you and Will were back together," Buffy elaborated happily.

"You're in a good mood," Willow stated. Hailey looked between Faith and Buffy and smirked.

"They finally did it," She said. Buffy instantly turned a shade of bright red.

"Yep," Faith said nonchalantly.

"Faith!" Buffy admonished.

"What?" Faith asked, shrugging her shoulders. "We did."

"So," Buffy said, flustered, "that's none of their business."

"I hate to break it to you," Willow said, "but we could hear you guys through the walls."

"They're not very thick," Hailey furthered explained.

"You may have to explain the finer points of lesbian sex to some of the younger girls, though," Willow added. "They were a little confused."

"Oh, God," Buffy said, mortified, as she covered her face with her hand.

"Don't worry, B," Faith said, slapping her on the shoulder. "I'll give them all the juicy details. You won't have to say a thing."

"You better not," Buffy warned.

Hailey watched her friends banter amongst themselves contentedly, though she had the sudden feeling that there would not be many more moments like that one. Glancing out of the kitchen window, she watched the girls stretch for a moment. Her eyes settled on a new face and she frowned. "Who's that?" She asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said, glancing out of the window.

"She must be a newbie," Faith commented.

"Gonna break her in?" Willow teased.

"Just maybe," Faith said, grinning.

"Don't freak her out too much," Buffy yelled after Faith as she left the kitchen for the backyard. "What's up?" Buffy asked, noticing Hailey intently watching the new girl.

"Nothing," Hailey answered absently.

"Any plans for today?" Buffy asked Willow as she pulled a box of cereal from one of the cabinets.

"Trying to change the subject?" Willow teased. "Just to get my girl back on the mend."

"I'm already on the mend," Hailey said, turning her attention from the new girl to her girlfriend.

"You know what I mean," Willow said winking. Hailey smiled.

"Am I to understand that you want to undertake the official duties of being a naughty nurse?" Hailey joked.

"I think I could dredge up a costume," Willow said half seriously.

"That I'd like to see," Hailey remarked.

"This is good," Buffy said, smiling as she watched the lovers.

"What's good?" Hailey asked.

"You two and the being back to normal," Buffy replied. "You guys had us worried for a minute there."

"It's all good, right, baby?" Willow said, moving behind Hailey, and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Absolutely," Hailey replied.

Buffy glanced out of the kitchen window and groaned. "Okay, I seriously have to stop her," she said, putting down her cereal bowl. Faith was making the new Potential run laps around the yard.

"Everyone's gotta get broken in sooner or later," Hailey called after her.

"You know," Willow said, "there are two very intriguing looking crates out in the foyer for you."

"I know," Hailey replied. "I was hoping to open them. I could probably use some help."

"Sure," Willow said, closely following after Hailey as she slowly made her way out of the kitchen.

"I'm not gonna fall over, you know," Hailey joked, noticing how closely Willow was hovering.

"It's not all about trying to catch you if you fall," Willow said defensively.

"No?" Hailey asked.

"No," she replied. "Some is just wanting to be near you."

Hailey smiled, her smile growing wider when she saw the boxes. "Yep, exactly what I thought," she said.

"What's in them?" Willow asked as she helped Hailey rip off one of the lids.

"Ammo and guns," Hailey said.

"You're pretty excited over some guns and ammunition," Willow remarked.

"You think that's weird? You get excited over eye of newt, okay?" Hailey shot back.

"Fair enough," Willow said laughingly.

"But these aren't just normal guns, or normal bullets," Hailey said, picking up one of the guns and eyeing it appreciatively. "These are for killing vampires."

"No more sharp, pointy sticks?" Willow joked.

"At least not for the Turok-Hans," Hailey said thoughtfully. "I had this weird dream the other night…"

"A dream?" Willow asked interestedly.

"Yeah," Hailey replied. "I was walking through the high school and, all of the sudden, I was in this underground chamber. I was standing on a ledge and there was a valley before me. It was filled with Turok-Han vampires."

"You should talk to Giles about that," Willow said seriously.

"Why?" Hailey questioned.

"Slayers often have prophetic dreams," Willow reminded her. "You could be dreaming about something that's going to happen."

"I hope it isn't," Hailey said, shuddering at the memory of their hideous faces. "But if it is, we're locked and loaded."

"Buffy and Faith will want to see these," Willow said. "And give the girls a demonstration. The last thing we need is a bunch of Potentials with no experience handling firearms trying to shoot vampires."

"There was something else that I wanted to do first," Hailey said. "It shouldn't take long. I just need to call someone."

………………………..

"They broke into the vineyard," the First yelled. "We're lucky they didn't find it."

"They're not going to find it," Caleb yelled back, much to the First's surprise. "I'm sorry," he said, lowering his voice. "I shouldn't have yelled."

"It's alright," the First said slowly.

"But they're not going to find the Scythe. I won't let them. That much I can promise you. I've searched too long and too hard for it to let it fall into their hands," Caleb assured it.

"You've made lots of promises," the First noted. "For instance, you promised that you would kill Hailey. Yet, she still lives. Even after you tortured her. Even after the Bringers were sent to the hospital. You should have gone yourself."

"I will kill her," he said grimly. "Even if it's the last thing that I do, I will kill her."

"Let's hope it's not the last thing that you do," the First replied. "We still have much to accomplish before we're ready to wage our war on the Slayers."

"The army is almost complete," Caleb said. "We just need a little more time before we can unleash them."

"Make sure the Slayers don't get the Scythe. And for God sakes, kill that stupid bitch before she causes any more trouble," the First instructed.

Caleb smiled grimly. "As you wish."


	43. The Fight

Night Falls

Notes: I suppose that I should explain the laughing fit from the last chapter. I intended to write a dramatic scene between Hailey and Kennedy, but when I sat down to write, that scene came out instead. I guess Hailey knew how she wanted to react better than I did. Sometimes characters truly do write themselves.

Previously:

"Make sure the Slayers don't get the Scythe. And for God sakes, kill that stupid bitch before she causes any more trouble," the First instructed.

Caleb smiled grimly. "As you wish."

Chapter Forty-Two:

Two weeks had passed since the First had instructed Caleb to kill Hailey. During that time, he had been using all of the resources available to him to monitor the Slayers. Initially, he had desired to storm the house with an army of Bringers, as he had done before, but he knew that the First was watching him closely. When he had first arrived in Sunnydale, he was the First's prized agent. It loved the idea of a saintly preacher slaughtering impressionable young women for the sake of evil. Conversely, he had loved the power that the First gave to him in return for committing such heinous acts upon the flesh of others. He had not always been heartless; once, he had enjoyed his calling and believed that God himself had chosen him to lead the lost sheep.

However, after years of working to rid the world of the evil that he had eventually joined, he realized that evil would never simply disappear. The good works of others only abated it a while before it came back stronger and more powerful. Evil was a part of the world that could not be erased. God, however, was not so permanent. He had seen countless people turn from lives of righteousness and piety to lives of sin and degradation. Evil filled them in a way that God could not. His faith shaken, he began to look to evil as a guiding force, until it overcame him. He supposed that he was just like all of the others, just like the people that he had once spurned as subjects of Satan. But now he saw otherwise.

The First wanted him to kill Hailey. It had made that request three times. He knew that if he failed again, he would no longer be the First's prized agent. It would find someone to take his place, perhaps, someone more suited to the position. However, he did not relish the notion of giving up the power that had been feeding him for so long. Power was like a drug and he was addicted. Thus, he changed his plan. If he stormed the Summers' house, chances were good that the other two Slayers would be there. He could not fight all three at the same time, nor could he defend himself against any other that might oppose him armed.

Instead, he watched them every hour of every day for two weeks. He learned their schedules. He charted the movements of Buffy, Faith, and Willow. Finally, his luck changed. He learned that the Watchers were planning to take the Potentials in to the desert for training and they intended to take Buffy and Willow with them. Though Faith would remain behind, she would be the only Slayer left for patrol, as the other two did not deem Hailey healthy enough to do it herself. Caleb smiled as he watched the girls pile duffel bags into rented vans. They were smiling and laughing, eager for their field trip. Caleb felt like smiling and laughing as well, though he restrained himself. He only had to wait for the right moment to attack and he would win back the love of the First – a love that he deserved above all others.

……………………………………

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay by yourself?" Willow asked, wrapping her arms around Hailey's waist and pulling her close.

"I'm not going to be by myself. Faith and Spike will still be here," Hailey reassured her.

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Willow joked. "For all I know, the three of you have a weekend of binge drinking planned."

"Damn," Hailey muttered. "How did you find out?"

"I know all," Willow smiled. "I can stay here if you want," she offered suggestively. Hailey smiled. Though she wanted Willow to remain behind, she knew that Willow needed the trip to the desert just as much as the girls. Giles had planned some exercises for her in the mystical arts that would help her retain control of herself when using more volatile magics. Though Hailey knew that Willow was afraid to practice her skills, her conversation with the Coven had convinced her that the trip was necessary.

Willow had not been present when Hailey had spoken with the head of the Coven. The witch had been unloading the guns from the crates in the foyer when Hailey phoned from the kitchen. The Mistress had been initially distressed with Hailey's idea. She believed that no witch could handle the magics that would be necessary to overthrow the control of the Powers that Be on the Slayer line. However, upon second thought, she had decided that no _one _witch would be powerful enough. The Coven would be necessary. Though the Coven was powerful, they knew that their most powerful ally was already in Sunnydale – Willow. The red haired witch was central to the Coven's spell to break the Powers' hold on the Slayer's. By breaking it, Hailey hoped that they could manipulate the line to allow all of the Potentials currently living and breathing in the world the opportunity to realize their destinies. The plan was rough and the odds of success small, but Hailey knew that they needed more than they had to defeat the First.

"As much as I would love for you to stay here with me," Hailey said, kissing Willow's forehead, "I know that you've been looking forward to getting out of the house." Though Willow was central to the plan, Hailey had not told her of it yet. She had not told anyone of it yet. She planned to speak with Faith and Spike that weekend, two people who she trusted above all, for advice on how to broach the subject with the witch and with Buffy.

"Maybe," Willow relented. "I wish you could come with us."

"Don't wish," Anya said, moving passed them with a bag slung over her shoulder. "Or haven't you learned anything living in this town?"

"You're going too?" Willow asked in surprise.

"Yes," Anya said. "Xander and I may not be together anymore, but I don't want to leave him alone with a bunch of hot, teenage girls," she grumbled. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't forget just how old they all are. Fifteen!" She called after one of the girls as she walked by, throwing a confused glance back at the ex-vengeance demon. "Yeah, that's right," Anya said. "You could go to jail for that!"

"When are they going to realize that they belong together?" Willow muttered.

"Hopefully sometime soon," Hailey said. "And I wish I could come with you too, but I have to stay here. Someone's gotta make sure that Spike doesn't drink himself to death and someone's gotta make sure that Faith remembers to patrol."

"Why do you always have to be the responsible one?" Willow grumbled.

"I never said that _I_ wasn't planning on drinking myself to death this weekend. They say alcohol is a good way to dull the pain," Hailey joked.

"I'll see you soon?" Willow said, leaning forward and kissing Hailey gently on the lips. Hailey nodded as the witch pulled away.

"Soon," she replied as Willow joined the others in one of the vans. Their physical relationship had all but screeched to a halt since they reconciled. Hailey knew that Willow wanted more from her, but she needed to take things slowly. "One step at a time," she murmured, closing the front door as the vans pulled off into the night.

"Think I'm going to go try out one of our shiny, new weapons," Faith said, holding up one of the guns that had been sent to Hailey. The new Slayer had filled the others in on the significance of the guns. Buffy and Faith took to them easily, though the Potentials required more extensive training. Some were hopeless, but most could aim and generally hit a part of the object to which they had been aiming.

"Don't hurt yourself," Hailey joked. Faith, in her excitement to try out her new gun, had almost blown a hole through her foot the very first day.

"Ha ha," she replied sarcastically. "I'll be back soon."

"Hey," Hailey called after her. "You know where Spike is?"

"Blood run," Faith called back. "Looks like you're on your own, sheriff."

"Lovely," Hailey murmured as Faith shut the front door. The house seemed eerily quiet. Hailey was used to hearing voices at all hours of the night. Utter silence greeted her as she stood in the foyer. Running a hand through her dark hair, she turned, and walked into the living room. She did not need assistance to walk through the house anymore. The bullet wound in her shoulder was healed. The wound in her midsection from the spike was little more than scarred flesh, which would heal with time as well. Her fingernails were starting to grow back, though they were taking the longest. She still required bandages on her fingers to stay any possible infection. Most of the other cuts and bruises had healed as well, though she still felt some pain from the deeper ones. Slayer healing had done her well and she knew that without it, she would have died. She believed that she was ready to patrol again, though the others wanted to give her more time. She knew that she could persuade Faith into seeing her side of the matter by the end of the weekend, provided she was able to get enough alcohol into the girl.

She had just sat down and flipped on the television when a sudden feeling of dread washed over her. Flipping the television off, she sat upright on the sofa. Her Slayer senses were tingling. She looked around for a weapon. Her gun was upstairs, but Trevor had sent her a new gun that could hold more bullets. She had placed it in the weapons chest, which sat just across the room. She stood, about to move towards it, when the front door came crashing down. She knew who had kicked it in before she even saw his face. Fear clutched her heart, but also determination. She had been waiting for this moment. One of them would not walk out of the house alive.

"Caleb," she said steely, crossing her arms across her chest as she turned to face the man who had tortured her.

"Hailey," he returned. For a moment, Hailey thought of the old, black and white Westerns that she had watched as a child. She and Caleb stood like two renegade cowboys under the glaring sun of high noon. All that she need was her hat. "I suppose you know why I'm here."

"I do," Hailey replied evenly. "And I suppose you know that I've been waiting for you to show up."

"I do," Caleb answered. "I wanted to wait until we could be alone. The others don't understand what we have between us. They would simply get in the way."

"You're right," Hailey said. "I wouldn't want them here. This _is_ just between you and I."

"I didn't bring any of my men," Caleb said, stepping closer. "You don't have anyone hidden away in here do you?"

"No," Hailey responded, stepping closer as well. "They've all gone. I don't expect any of them back for at least an hour."

"That should be enough time," Caleb nodded. "Well," he said, clasping his hands in front of him and smiling, "may the best man win."

………………………

Spike strolled up the driveway, whistling an old, punk rock song that had come into his mind. He was holding a bag of groceries, which concealed the bags of blood for which he had originally left the house. "Nice night for a walk," he murmured amiably to himself. He was halfway up the driveway when he heard a loud popping noise from inside of the house. He stopped and listened. A thud followed the pop. If his blood could have run cold, it would have. The front door had been knocked clean off of its hinges. Dropping the grocery bag, he ran up the rest of the driveway and up the sidewalk. Crossing the porch in three quick steps, he entered the house.

"Hailey!" He called desperately, fearing the worst.

"It's okay," he heard a steady voice reply. "I'm in the living room."

Spike rushed to the living room, stopping suddenly in the doorway. The room had been wrecked. Hailey stood in the center, holding her gun out in front of her. Caleb was on his knees, swaying from side to side as blood rushed out of his body. The man groaned and swayed forward, reaching out his hand to stop himself from falling. "What happened?" Spike asked. Hailey was covered in blood as well, though Spike could smell that most of it was Caleb's.

"Exactly what it looks like," Hailey replied, keeping her gun trained on Caleb's head. "He came here looking for a fight. He got one."

"Are you okay?" Spike asked concernedly.

"I'll heal," Hailey replied softly. "He won't."

"He's dying," Spike said, walking over to Hailey. Caleb's face looked much like a smashed pumpkin.

"He is," Hailey agreed.

"Are you gonna do it?" Spike asked.

"Do what?" Hailey said, looking over at him.

"Are you gonna put him out of his misery?" Spike questioned.

Hailey smiled grimly and looked back at the preacher. "Should I?" She asked. "Does he deserve to die quickly?"

"No one should suffer," Spike stated.

"Even after all of the shit that he did to me?" Hailey shot back.

"Even after all of it," Spike said firmly, "no one should have to suffer."

Hailey nodded and focused her eyes on the dying man's face. She could see his eyes staring back at her, twinkling cruelly. Their fight seemed to have lasted forever. Caleb had knocked her to the ground and she had hit her head on the weapons chest. He had turned his back to grab a lamp off of the table by the sofa when she opened the chest and pulled out her gun. He had not seen her. He moved back to hit her with the lamp and she shot him in the chest. Even with the power of the First compelling him, the bullet made him crumple to his knees. He had been defeated. Sighing heavily, Hailey moved her finger to the trigger of the gun.

"Rest in peace," she whispered and squeezed.


	44. White Light

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews and, as always, keep them coming. I intend to start wrapping this up, barring any unexpected creative detours. And never fear, I have an idea for another Buffy, Faith, and zombies story brewing in my head.

Previously:

Hailey nodded and focused her eyes on the dying man's face. She could see his eyes staring back at her, twinkling cruelly. Sighing heavily, she moved her finger to the trigger of the gun pointed at Caleb's head. "Rest in peace," she whispered and squeezed.

Chapter Forty-Three: 

"Close your eyes," Giles said softly. Willow breathed a cleansing sigh and followed his instructions. She sat on the desert floor in a meditative position with her palms resting lightly in her lap. The sun was slowly sinking in the sky, burning intensely red and blinding. The sand was soft underneath of her and a light breeze stirred her hair. "You are sitting on the desert floor," Giles continued. "Man was created in the desert from the dust of the world. Long after man's time in this world has ended, his bones will crumble and form new dust to cover the world in an age of aridity. From whence we came, we shall return, this is the most important lesson of all."

A renegade sunbeam reached across the desert and struck Willow, shining on her eyelids in a fiery crimson light. Already, she could feel the heat of the desert relenting and passing into the chill of night. "You are connected to everything in this world. You are but a fractal, mirroring the very image of the universe itself. Just as the veins in a leaf mirror the veins of a tree, you are the image of Truth." Willow let Giles' words wash over her. Focusing inward, she centered herself, finding a place of calm and peace. She remembered the complete lack of control that falling to black magic had produced in her mind and soul. She never wanted to feel so lost again.

She suspected that Giles brought her out into the desert to work on her magics because he knew something that she did not. Perhaps her skills would be necessary in battling the First. The thought of fighting such a great evil scared Willow more than she cared to admit. Her soul still felt the lingering effects of the darkness that had invaded her not all that long ago. She imagined that she would always feel some effect from her misuse of magics. Though she was afraid, she also knew that she had to conquer her fears. Her friends needed her and she did not want disappoint them. She thought of Hailey, of the confidence and belief in the witch's abilities that the other girl possessed.

"We all share the same blood. We share the same bodies. Everything in this world is connected. Magic is a deeply spiritual calling. The elements necessary to successfully wield it are all connected. They are connected to you, to me, and to everyone. Allow that connection to grow. Allow it to flourish and it will grow in you a beautiful and blessed thing," Giles continued, pacing back and forth in front of the meditating witch. Hailey had briefly related her conversation with the Coven to him before he and the others had left for their trip. Though he had doubts about the plan, he knew that Hailey was right in one aspect – they needed more than a group of trained and eager teenage girls to defeat the First Evil.

Giles believed in Willow's abilities, though he also believed that anyone, despite his or her good will and heart, could be tempted and swayed by evil. He had seen Willow fall to the darkest of magics like an addict desperately seeking a fix. Willow was a powerful witch, perhaps one of the most powerful, but he was not certain that she should ever practice such potent magics again. The Coven seemed to have confidence in her, as did Hailey. Giles bore his own reservations, but respected their beliefs. If Hailey wanted him to train her, to teach her stillness, than he would, even if he did not believe that Willow could learn. "White and black magic are connected. They come from the same source – the same power. To wield one is to wield the other unwittingly. You must have control. You must have dominance. You must believe in the goodness in your heart," he said earnestly. "Fall to no trick. Believe no lie. And white magic will prevail. It is connected to the good in you and to the good in this world. There _is_ more good in this world than evil."

Giles' words slowly began to fade from Willow's consciousness as she fell deeper and deeper into meditation. The desert faded. The sun ceased to burn in the sky. The wakening stars fell back into slumber. She found herself totally alone in complete and utter darkness. A white ball of light slowly began to grow in her mind. It filled her with a serenity that she had never known. She let it wrap her in its embrace and her heart was filled with joy. She had been afraid to let the magic back into her heart; but as the light of goodness filled her, she realized that the magic had never left. It would always be a part of her. She allowed black magic to overcome her in a time of grief and despair, but that was not the magic that came naturally to her.

Giles stopped speaking, watching the witch sitting in front of him intently. The sun sank below the horizon as the moon steadily rose. The stars began to peek through the darkness of the coming night, illuminating the sky with millions of tiny lights. Vaguely, Giles heard the call of a coyote singing in the desert. Suddenly, Willow's eyes snapped open, blank, unseeing, and devoid of any color save the purest of white. Giles stared into her eyes in amazement and surprise. "Willow…" he murmured, stepping forward warily. Slowly the white was replaced by the emerald green that he was accustomed to seeing. Willow shook her head and looked up at him dazedly.

"What happened?" She asked, glancing around. "It's night time?"

"Yes," Giles replied slowly. "Your eyes…"

"There was this light," Willow interrupted as Giles helped her to her feet. "It surrounded me. I felt it go in me."

"What light?" Giles asked confusedly.

"This white light. It was beautiful," she murmured. Giles smiled. Perhaps he had underestimated the girl. "Was that supposed to happen?"

Giles shook his head, lost for words as they walked back to the camp. "I have no idea," he finally said.

………………………….

"I don't think this is going to work," Hailey said pessimistically as Faith paced back and forth in front of the open trunk of Giles' car. "It's too small."

"It _is_ a wee, little thing," Spike agreed.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Faith asked, throwing up her hands in defeat.

Hailey and Spike stood silently, mulling over Faith's question. They had all agreed that even though Caleb was a monstrous man in life, he deserved a decent burial in death, as he had not always been so evil. Hailey had initially proposed staking up his head in the front yard, but that idea was quickly voted down as no one believed that the neighbors would enjoy their new lawn ornament. Even though they wanted to prove to the First that they were a force to be reckoned with, none found it necessary to provoke the entity into action.

"No," they both finally said in unison.

"Let's cram him in," Hailey said, sighing. She and Faith lifted the dead man and swung him into the trunk. Giles' car was made for speed and appearance, not for hauling dead bodies.

"Damn him and his midlife crisis," Faith groaned.

"Well," Hailey replied, "we just have to move him around a bit." Finally, after contorting Caleb's body like a gymnast, they were able to close the trunk lid.

"Giles is going to kill us when he finds out that we stuffed a dead body in his trunk," Faith muttered.

"Who said he ever has to find out?" Spike offered.

"He'll be able to smell it," Hailey countered.

"We'll just have to clean it until you can't tell anymore," Spike clarified. "Are we ready?"

"No," Faith said, pointing at Hailey. "You have to change your clothes. If we're pulled over and you're all bloody, even the stupidest cop in Sunnydale is gonna know that something's up."

"Alright," Hailey said, glancing down at her ruined clothes. "Get the car started. I'll be right down."

Hailey walked back into the house, throwing a glance into the living room as she moved towards the stairs. The room had been trashed during the course of her fight with Caleb. "Xander's gonna have a lot of work coming to him," she murmured. Continuing up the stairs, she entered the room she shared with Willow and moved over to the closet. She stripped off her soiled clothes and dumped them in the trashcan. Pulling on a new pair of black jeans, she glanced up, and studied herself in the mirror.

She looked older than she had before she left New Mexico. Her eyes seemed deeper and darker. Her dark hair hung loosely about her face, which was stained with blood. A scar remained on her stomach where Caleb had impaled her on a spike. She did not know if that scar would ever fade; perhaps even Slayer healing had its limits. She ran her bandaged fingers lightly over the scar, remembering the feeling of cool metal sliding through her skin.

"Well, that's a nasty looking wound, isn't it?" Caleb asked, smiling as he appeared behind her in the mirror. Hailey started in fear, but remembered that the preacher was dead and lying in the trunk of Giles' car.

"I guess you know that you're boy's dead now, huh?" She asked, turning around to face the First.

"I served my purpose," the First answered through Caleb's voice. "You must think you've won a great victory."

"Haven't we?" Hailey asked, grabbing a white tank top from the closet and slipping it on, hiding the scar from sight.

"Not really," Caleb said smugly.

"No?" Hailey taunted.

"I was just the beginning," Caleb replied. "The First is the end of all things."

"You coming?" Hailey heard Faith yell from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll be right there," Hailey yelled back.

"You should go, you're friends are waiting," Caleb said, motioning to the door with a nod of his head.

"I guess I'll be seeing you then?" Hailey asked as Caleb smiled and disappeared from sight. The room was oddly empty without him. Hailey looked over at the nightstand and saw a picture of Willow and she that Andrew had taken without them knowing. She wished that Willow was there with her now. Sighing, she left the room, quickly entered the bathroom to wash her face, and continued down the stairs. Faith was waiting for her.

"Everything okay?" The younger Slayer asked expectantly.

"I have some things to talk to you guys about," Hailey replied. "Important things."

"Okay," Faith said nodding. "We have a little problem of our own."

"What's that?" Hailey asked.

"Are you good to drive?" She responded.

"Well, my head kinda hurts from hitting the weapons chest," Hailey said. "Why?"

"Spike it just a little bit drunk and I don't legally have a license," Faith replied. "If we get pulled over and either one of us is driving, they'll search the car."

"Fine," Hailey said. "I'll drive. But if I start weaving, someone else has to do it."

"Deal," Faith said, smiling. Spike was waiting for them in the car, cramped grumpily in the backseat. Hailey slid into the driver's seat and stuck the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life as she turned it. "So what did you want to talk to us about?" Faith asked.

"Caleb," Hailey said as she pulled out onto the road, "was just the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"I had a dream the other night," Hailey replied.

"A Slayer dream," Faith said knowingly. Hailey nodded.

"Where am I going?" She asked, looking over at Faith.

"Somewhere outside of town…where no one will see us digging," the dark haired girl replied.

"I dreamt about the First. It was gathering around it an army of Turok-Han vampires," Hailey continued. "I know where they are."

"Where?" Faith asked curiously.

"Underneath the high school," Hailey answered. "In the Hellmouth."

"We need to go after them," Spike said.

"We can't," Faith interrupted. "We don't have the man power."

"Even if we did," Hailey added, "it would be risky."

"I take it you have a plan then, sheriff?" Faith asked. Hailey smiled knowingly.

"I spoke with the Coven. They think that we could pull off a spell to turn all of the Potentials into Slayers," Hailey answered.

"Temporarily?" Spike asked.

"No," Hailey said, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror, "permanently."

"So what are we waiting for?" Faith asked.

"I haven't told anyone else but you two," Hailey said. "The Coven is sending members to help with the spell. But it mostly hinges on Willow."

"Willow, who might I remind you, is afraid to float a pencil," Spike muttered.

"Giles is working with her in the desert," Hailey said. "She can do this."

"Are you sure?" Faith asked, looking steadily at Hailey.

"I'm sure," Hailey replied.

"Sure enough to risk all of our lives?" Faith countered.

"Yes," Hailey said, looking over at her and holding her gaze.

"Okay," Faith replied and Hailey shifted her eyes back to the road. "Then we're behind you one hundred percent."

"What do you need?" Spike asked.

"Buffy's support for one," Hailey replied. "I don't know if she'll like the idea."

"Why not?" Spike asked.

"Being one girl in all of the world chosen to do something is a damn cool thing," Faith said softly. "A hard thing to want to give up."

"Yes," Hailey said, "it is."

"I'll talk to her," Faith volunteered.

"Giles isn't going to like this either," Spike said. "Screwing with destinies and all of that."

"I'll talk to him," Hailey said. "I can convince him."

"So what do you need me to do?" Spike questioned.

"I need you to figure out how to get into the Hellmouth without attracting a whole lot of attention," Hailey said.

"That's going to be difficult," Spike noted.

"I'm sure you'll find a way," Hailey said, smiling.

"What about the vineyard?" Faith asked.

"What about it?" Hailey said.

"Shouldn't we check it out, now that Caleb is dead?" She furthered. "There might be something useful there."

"After we're done burying him," Hailey replied, "we'll go to the vineyard and see if our crazy preacher was hiding anything important."

"I don't know why," Faith commented distantly, "but I think he was."


	45. At the Pub

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"What about the vineyard?" Faith asked.

"What about it?" Hailey said.

"Shouldn't we check it out, now that Caleb is dead?" She furthered. "There might be something useful there."

"After we're done burying him," Hailey replied, "we'll go to the vineyard and see if our crazy preacher was hiding anything important."

Chapter Forty-Four:

The moon had ridden high in the sky by the time Faith, Hailey, and Spike finished digging the hole in which they planned to bury Caleb. They had driven several miles outside of Sunnydale and pulled off of the main road, riding out into the wilderness until they could no longer see any signs of civilization. Underneath a tree with broad branches that spread over the ground like great arms, they set to digging the hole in the dim light of the headlights of Giles' car. "I think it's deep enough," Hailey said, looking up at the grass above her head from where she stood at least seven feet below the ground.

They each threw their shovels out of the hole in turn. Faith easily jumped and grabbed the edge of the hole, hoisting herself out. "Your turn," Spike said, offering his aid to Hailey, who was still too sore to perform the jump herself. She set her foot in Spike's cradled hands and pushed upwards, allowing Faith to drag her out and onto the cold ground. Spike climbed up after them. They lay in the grass for a long time, in the silence of the night, looking up at the stars that twinkled above them.

"I've seen a lot of stars in my time," Spike said suddenly. "And all of them were dead."

"They're still beautiful though," Hailey murmured.

"It's funny how the light lingers on ages after it should have been extinguished," Spike said thoughtfully. "I think there's a lesson in that somewhere."

"Anybody else feel like getting this over with?" Faith asked, looking over at her two companions. Hailey nodded and pulled herself to her feet as the others followed. Spike and Faith lifted Caleb out of the trunk of Giles' car and carried him over to the hole. Hesitating a moment, they carefully swung him into it, dropping his body over the opening. It fell silently until it hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Should we say something?" Spike asked.

"Like what?" Hailey questioned.

"He wasn't exactly a good guy," Faith said. "The only reason I wanted to bury him is because the last time I tried dumping a body into the sea the cops found it right away."

"I just would have felt bad throwing him out of the car on the side of the road," Hailey said shrugging.

"Oh, come on," Spike argued. "He must have been a good man once. He was a priest and all."

"Once," Faith conceded. "Maybe."

"We buried him, isn't that enough?" Hailey said. "Let's just cover up the hole and get out of here."

"I know I could use a drink. I don't know about you guys…" Faith said.

"Definitely," Hailey agreed.

"Alright, so we cover him up, head to the pub, and then the vineyard," Spike planned.

"Maybe we should hit the vineyard first," Hailey suggested. "When we're less drunk."

"We're losing night here, folks," Spike reminded them. "You can go visiting the vineyard during the day anytime you like, but I've got a limited time span in which to drink myself into a stupor."

"Okay, so pub and then vineyard," Faith confirmed.

"Something tells me that the three of us really shouldn't be left alone to our own devices," Hailey muttered as they began to shovel dirt into the hole.

"Just think," Spike offered, "if we royally fuck it up this time, they're never gonna leave us alone again."

"Thank God," Faith muttered.

"I know," Hailey agreed heartily.

"I really hate having to do my own blood runs," Spike commented. "I can't wait until that twerp Andrew gets back. He's always so quick about it. He warms it up for me too."

"I think he likes you," Hailey teased.

"Stop," Spike said, glaring over at her.

"Andrew and Spike sitting in a tree…" Faith crooned.

"I will throw you in that hole," Spike warned.

"Yeah?" Faith said laughingly. "Bring it on."

"I thought you were going to throw her in the hole," Hailey commented, nudging Spike's shoulder with her own when he failed to act.

"I'm working up to it," Spike said defensively.

"Afraid?" Hailey teased.

"Wouldn't you be?" He argued. "I go throwing Buffy's mate in that hole and I'm gonna get my ass beat when she comes home."

"Good point," Faith agreed. The moon slowly began its descent through the sky and the stars began to fade. Finally, the hole was covered. The ground looked undisturbed, as if they had not been there at all. The earth had swallowed Caleb.

"Dust to dust," Hailey muttered.

"Watch yourself, speaking about dust around a vampire," Spike said, throwing his shovel in the trunk. "Likely to make a man paranoid."

"You know we'd never dust you, Spike," Faith replied, closing the trunk lid after all of the shovels had been deposited.

"You keep things interesting around here," Hailey added.

"Pub?" Spike asked, sliding into the driver's seat. Hailey climbed into the back as Faith slipped into the passenger's seat

"Pub," the girls replied in unison.

……………………………

Spike, Faith, and Hailey stumbled out of the pub without much time to spare before dawn. The air was still chilled from the departing night. Main Street was dark and quiet. Walking down the sidewalk to where they had parked the car, they slowly became aware that the object of their final destination was nowhere to be found. "What happened to the car, guys?" Hailey asked, squinting away a headache as she glanced up and down the street.

"I thought I parked it here," Spike said, pointing to an empty parking space.

"Did you lock it?" Faith asked.

"I don't bloody well remember," Spike said defensively.

"Seriously," Hailey said again. "What happened to the car?"

"Giles is going to kill us," Faith muttered. "That's it. We're all dead."

"I really thought I locked it," Spike said. "It's that little button under the door handle, right? Has the picture of a padlock on it?"

"I don't feel so good," Hailey muttered, leaning against the wall of the pawnshop behind her.

"Little Slayer can't handle her drinks?" Spike teased.

"Shut up," Hailey retorted, punching his shoulder.

"Ow," Spike commented, rubbing the spot. "Slayer strength, remember?"

Faith scratched her head and looked down at the empty parking place. "I think the car's really gone."

"We've established that," Spike replied.

"I guess we should walk home," Faith offered.

"Not like it's very far, really," Spike agreed.

"So," Hailey said as they began to walk, weaving in several different directions at once, "who's gonna tell Giles?" Turning quickly, they each pointed to another.

"Maybe it should be a collective effort," Spike offered. Turning off of Main Street, they slowly began walking down one of the side streets that connected to Revello Drive. They walked on in silence for several blocks until Hailey heard the sound of a car pulling up behind them. Peering over her shoulder, she saw a police car crawling to a stop.

"Shit," she muttered.

"Stop right there," a police officer said, climbing out of the car. The driver did the same.

"What's wrong, officers?" Spike said cheerily, flashing them an obviously fake smile.

"Where are you three heading this early in the morning?" The officer asked, shining his flashlight in their faces.

"Home," Hailey answered diplomatically. "Just walking home."

"From where?" The officer prodded.

"The pub?" Spike offered uncertainly.

"You do realize that public drunkenness is crime?" The officer asked. "Now I saw the three of you stumbling down this street, very obviously intoxicated. But that's not really quite my interest."

"What is your interest?" Hailey asked warily.

"Her," the officer said, pointing his flashlight into Faith's face. "I recognize you," he said, stepping forward.

"Do you?" Faith asked, not quite liking how the officers had begun to circle them.

"You're the murderer that escaped from prison in Los Angeles," the officer continued. "Brining you in, well, that'd be a hell of a arrest for us."

"Damn straight," the other officer chimed in. "We may even get medals."

"I think you're wrong about this, boys," Hailey said. The officer closest to her lowered his free hand to the butt of his gun.

"Are we?" He asked.

"Look, we're not bothering anyone, okay?" Spike said. "We're just walking home and this girl isn't who you think she is."

"How about we take you all in anyway?" The officer said. "Just to be sure."

"What're we gonna do?" Faith whispered to Hailey, her voice low enough that the officers could not hear her, but that Hailey could due to her heightened senses.

"We can't let them arrest us," Hailey whispered back.

"You want to pick a fight with some police officers?" Faith whispered in shock.

"We outnumber them," Hailey shot back.

"So just go ahead and put your hands behind your backs, okay?" The officer said smugly, moving his hand to his handcuffs.

"I've got a better idea," Hailey said. She and Faith moved forward before either officer knew that they had moved. Kneeing the officers in the midsection, they brought their elbows down on the men's heads as they doubled over in pain. The officers fell unconscious to the ground.

"I can't believe that you just did that," Spike said in shock.

"Did you really want them to haul your ass down to the police station? Hello…windows and sunlight," Faith replied.

"You just knocked out two police officers," Spike retorted.

"They'll be alright," Hailey said, glancing at them.

"What if they remember what we look like, huh?" Spike argued.

"We'll knock them out again?" Faith offered weakly.

"This has been one hell of a night," Spike said, shaking his head as they began walking back to the house. They had all sobered considerably and could walk much faster. Finally, they saw Buffy's house loom into view. "Hailey killed a guy, we buried his body out in the wilderness, we got drunk, Giles' car was stolen, and you two got in a fight with the police."

"And this is why they should never leave us alone," Faith said emphatically.

"What about the vineyard?" Spike asked.

"Sleep, coffee, then vineyard," Hailey muttered. Entering the house, they paused and surveyed the damage in the living room again.

Faith shook her head and muttered, "Buffy's gonna kill us."


	46. The Scythe

Night Falls

Notes: I start school again tomorrow, so I may not be able to update as frequently, but I should be able to at least once a week.

Previously:

"What about the vineyard?" Spike asked.

"Sleep, coffee, then vineyard," Hailey muttered. Entering the house, they paused and surveyed the damage in the living room again.

Faith shook her head and muttered, "Buffy's gonna kill us."

Chapter Forty-Five:

Saturday morning passed into Saturday afternoon before Faith or Hailey stirred from their sleep. Hailey awoke suddenly, after rolling from the couch in the living room, where she had crashed the night before, to the debris-strewn floor. "Ow," she muttered, rubbing the side of her face and picking some splinters from her hair. Her head was pounding and the light pouring in from the windows seemed to pierce her eyes with deadly flames. Pulling herself to her feet, she stumbled into the kitchen, and plugged in the coffee machine. Several minutes later, as Hailey was watching the coffee drip agonizingly slowly into the pot, Faith walked into the kitchen yawning and stretching.

"Sleep well?" Faith joked.

"Not really," Hailey replied.

"We thought about moving you for a minute, but you just seemed so comfortable lying on those pieces of the coffee table that we left you there," Faith teased.

"Thanks," Hailey laughed. "How do you do it, anyway?" She asked.

"Do what?" Faith questioned.

"You drank as much as I did, but you're perfectly fine," Hailey said.

"I can handle my liquor," Faith replied, smiling cockily.

"Hey," Hailey shot back, "I can handle my liquor too."

"Really, Sheriff?" Faith said. "Because it seems to me that you're the one gazing at the coffee pot like it's your salvation."

"I just like coffee," Hailey grumbled.

"Well," Faith said, "once you've drunk enough to resemble something vaguely human, we'll go check out the vineyard. I'm eager to see if Caleb was hiding anything there."

"You really think he was?" Hailey questioned, pouring herself a cup of steaming, black liquid.

"I do," Faith nodded. "I don't know what is was, but there was something about that place."

"Other than it being creepy?" Hailey asked, taking a sip of her coffee. It burned going down her throat and it tasted like sludge, but already she could feel herself awakening.

"I get that you don't really want to go back there," Faith said sympathetically. "I can go alone if you want."

"No way in hell am I letting you go there alone," Hailey said emphatically.

"Are you sure?" Faith asked.

"It's just a place," Hailey said lowly.

"When are the others getting back?" The younger Slayer changed topics as she leaned against the counter with a bemused expression and watched Hailey down her coffee.

"Sometime this evening," Hailey replied. "Giles didn't want to keep them out there too long."

"Probably smart," Faith commented. "Seeing as to how the battle is here and all. When does the Coven get in?"

"Tomorrow morning," Hailey stated. "So sometime between now and then we have to convince Buffy, Giles, and Willow that turning all of the Potentials into Slayers is a good thing."

"Exploring the vineyard sounds like a piece of cake compared to that," Faith muttered. Hailey downed the rest of her coffee and placed the mug in the sink. "Ready?" Faith asked.

"No time like the present," Hailey commented. Faith nodded and walked out of the kitchen to load up on weapons in case they ran into trouble. Hailey hesitated a moment before following her. "It's just a place," she whispered to herself as she let her feet follow the other Slayer.

…………………………

Faith pushed open the front doors of the vineyard. Sunlight streamed in behind her, illuminating the dirty floor ahead of her. An overwhelming silence greeted her ears. "I don't think anyone is here," she whispered over to Hailey. Hailey nodded distractedly and walked ahead of the younger Slayer, gazing around distantly. She vaguely remembered Caleb dragging her through that room. She looked down at the floor, expecting to see a trail of blood leading to the stairs, but the floor was clean. "You okay?" Faith asked, glancing over at her friend concernedly.

"Yeah," Hailey replied honestly. "But I'm not going down there," she said, pointing to the stairs that led to the rooms in which Caleb had tortured her. She never wanted to see those rooms again.

"I don't think we have to," Faith responded. "There were only two rooms down there. Neither led anywhere else."

"So what are we looking for then?" Hailey asked.

"Other stair cases," Faith suggested. "Trap doors. Hidden passages. Anything that Caleb could have hidden something in."

"What about the wine barrels?" Hailey said, nodding to the barrel of wine stacked in the corner of the room.

"Good a place as any to start," Faith replied. Moving over to the barrels, she grabbed a metal bar lying on the floor, and swung it at the nearest barrel. A flood of wine gushed out at her feet. Once it was empty, she and Hailey peered inside of it.

"Nothing," Hailey muttered. Faith broke open the rest of the barrels. The bittersweet smell of vine filled Hailey's nostrils and the floor ran red from the juice of the crushed grapes. The barrels were all empty.

"That was useless," Faith said as she threw the metal bar back onto the floor. It clanged loudly.

"Waste of good wine too," Hailey added as an afterthought. "Spike would be so upset."

"What's that?" Faith asked suddenly, moving forward, and leaning over one of the barrels.

"What?" Hailey asked, moving closer.

"I think it's a door," Faith said. "Help me move this barrel." Together, the two Slayers moved the now empty wine barrel across the floor. A door stood before them, which had been hidden from view due to age and the obstruction of the barrels. But the wine barrels shifted in the course of Faith's beating them with the bar, thus allowing the Slayers to see the door.

Faith cautiously walked towards it with Hailey trailing behind her. Pushing it open she saw a staircase laid bare before her. "Can you see anything?" Hailey asked.

"Stairs," Faith replied breathlessly.

"Beyond that?"

"Nothing," she said. Faith stepped forward into the black and disappeared from view. Sighing heavily, Hailey steeled her resolve and walked forward into the dark. Though her Slayer senses allowed her to see well enough at night, she could see nothing in the pitch black of the staircase. She heard Faith moving ahead of her. Groping the walls, she carefully picked her way down the stairs, afraid that the old wood would collapse under her weight at any moment. Finally, she saw a dim light forming ahead of her and the outline of Faith's body became apparent.

"We're near the bottom," Faith said softly.

"What's that light?" Hailey asked.

"Torches," Faith replied. Faith's feet hit the cold stone of the floor below. A passageway opened before them, lined with steadily burning torches.

"Someone must have been down here recently to light them," Hailey noted.

"Let's hope that whoever it was isn't still here," Faith said. They crept down the passage, listening intently for any sound that would betray another person in the tunnel with them. However, they heard nothing. Hailey felt nothing out of the ordinary, until she saw another door ahead of them at the end of the tunnel. A humming noise seemed to build in her mind. Her fingers tingled.

"Do you feel that?" She asked.

"Yeah," Faith replied. "I don't understand…"

"It doesn't feel evil," Hailey finished. They reached the door and Faith threw it open hastily. The room that they entered was empty, save for torches lining the walls and an altar resting in the center. Upon the altar, a weapon laid.

"What is that?" Faith asked as she and Hailey walked up to it. They stopped several feet from the altar and stared at the weapon in awe. The buzzing in their minds seemed to be coming from it. It felt powerful. Though it was lying in the den of the enemy, Faith was sure that the weapon was meant for them.

"I don't know," Hailey replied. "But it belongs to us."

Faith reached forward and pulled the weapon from its resting place. It was cold to the touch and surprisingly light. She gripped the handle firmly with her hand and gazed at it in admiration. "It's a beautiful weapon," she said. The wooden handle was long and pointed at the end to form a stake. Above the leather grip, cold, hard steel ran to form a blade that curved out in the middle. The blade looked sharper than any blade Faith had before handled.

"I think this is going to redeem us a bit with the others," Hailey smiled.

"Oh yeah," Faith agreed. "Buffy is going to love this thing."

"If she can ever pry it out of your hands," Hailey teased.

"Why did Caleb have this?" Faith wondered aloud. "Was he planning to use it? If so, why didn't he? He had plenty of opportunities."

"I don't think this was meant for him to use," Hailey said, reaching out, and touching the blade. It was freezing to the touch and she shivered.

"Let's get out of here," Faith suggested. "Something tells me that when the First realizes that this thing has been left unguarded, it's going to send its boys to retrieve it."

"Where _did_ all of the Bringers go, anyway?" Hailey questioned.

"Maybe they freaked when they found out that Caleb was dead," Faith suggested.

"Or maybe something else is going on," Hailey replied. They quickly fled from the vineyard, careful to hide their new weapon from sight. It seemed to warm instantly upon seeing the sun. The metal of the blade glinted blindingly in their eyes. The humming had lessened in Hailey's mind, now that they possessed the weapon. But she still felt keenly aware of its presence.

"Giles and Wesley will know more about it," Faith said confidently. "It has to be mystical."

"I know," Hailey agreed. "I've never felt anything like it before. It's almost like the thing's alive."

Faith looked warily down at the weapon in her hand, upon hearing Hailey's words. "Well, let's hope not," she said, "that would be kinda creepy."

………………………………

When the rest of the Scooby Gang arrived back from the desert later that evening, they found Hailey, Spike, and Faith sitting in the remnants of the living room, staring at the weapon curiously. "What the hell happened to my living room?" Buffy blurted out upon seeing the ravaged state of the room.

"Do you want the long or short version of the story?" Faith asked.

"The short version," Buffy said, standing with her hands angrily on her hips. Xander glanced around the room and whistled. Willow, Giles, and Wesley lingered in the doorway of the living room while the others filed up the stairs either to sleep off their day of training in the desert or to start the line for the shower to wash off the sand.

"Caleb came, Hailey killed him, we buried him, went to the vineyard, and found this," Faith said, pointing to the weapon.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, looking concernedly at Hailey. Hailey smiled crookedly back at her and nodded.

"You know," Giles said, breaking into the conversation, "I couldn't help but notice that my car wasn't in the driveway. Where is it?"

"That's a good question," Spike said jokingly.

"We're not really sure," Hailey elaborated.

"It may have been stolen," Faith finished.

"What do you mean?" Giles asked gravely, removing his glasses, and furiously wiping them with his shirt.

"Well, after we buried Caleb, we went to the pub," Spike said.

"We may or may not have locked the car," Faith added.

"After a couple of hours, we were all pretty drunk, and when we left to go home, we couldn't find the car anywhere," Hailey said apologetically. "But we'll find it."

"Yeah," Spike said. "I'll ask around. Someone's gotta know something about it. Although, you two should probably lay low for a couple of days."

"Why should you two lay low?" Willow asked suspiciously, glancing back and forth between Hailey and Faith.

"While we were walking home, some police officers saw us. They recognized me from the prison break," Faith explained. "We couldn't very well let them arrest us, so we knocked them out and ran."

"You've got to be kidding me," Buffy said in disbelief, shaking her head.

"But," Hailey interrupted. "Look at the shiny, new weapon. Isn't it cool?"

"What is it?" Willow asked, gazing at it warily.

"It's a scythe," Wesley said. "I'll have to do some more in depth research to find out more about this particular one."

"Get on that," Buffy instructed. "You said you found it at the vineyard?"

"Yeah," Faith confirmed.

"I want to know more about it before we use it, if it's been in the hands of the enemy," Buffy said. Wesley nodded and moved into the room, removing the scythe. Hailey and Faith both almost jumped up to stop him, but restrained themselves. Giles followed the younger Watcher out of the room, grumbling about his missing sports car.

"I can't believe all of the trouble you three got into," Buffy admonished. "We were only gone for one day."

"It wasn't _all_ our fault," Faith said defensively. "There were extenuating circumstances."

"So, how was the desert anyway?" Hailey said, changing the topic.

"Hot," Willow said dryly.

"I think we made some progress with the girls," Buffy added optimistically.

"That's good," Faith replied, rising to her feet. "I wanted to talk to you about the girls…in private," she said to Buffy. Hailey watched the other two Slayers leave. Faith shot her a look as she walked out of the room and Hailey knew that Faith meant to talk to Buffy about the spell to transform the Potentials into Slayers.

"We need to talk as well," Hailey said, more gravely than she intended.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked anxiously. She had been worried about Hailey the entire time that she was in the desert. She did not know if leaving her lover so soon after their reconciliation was such a good idea. She feared that Hailey would develop second thoughts in her absence.

Hailey smiled and walked over to Willow, gently pressing a kiss onto her lips. "I've missed doing that," she whispered, closing her eyes, and resting her forehead on Willow's.

"That's what you wanted to talk to me about?" Willow teased, sensing that their conversation was not going to be about their relationship.

"Not exactly," Hailey laughed. She opened her eyes and gazed into Willow's intently. She knew that Willow trusted her explicitly. She also knew that Willow would not react well to her asking the witch to perform such a powerful spell. "Let's go upstairs, okay?" She said softly. "I need to ask you to do something for me and you're not going to like it."


	47. Conversations

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming.

Previously:

"That's what you wanted to talk to me about?" Willow teased, sensing that their conversation was not going to be about their relationship.

"Not exactly," Hailey laughed. She opened her eyes and gazed into Willow's intently. She knew that Willow trusted her explicitly. She also knew that Willow would not react well to her asking the witch to perform such a powerful spell. "Let's go upstairs, okay?" She said softly. "I need to ask you to do something for me and you're not going to like it."

Chapter Forty-Six:

Faith led Buffy into their bedroom, closed the door, and locked it. She stood for several long moments facing the slab of wood, contemplating her word, and terrified that she would be unable to express to Buffy how important this spell could be for them in so many ways. "What's going on?" Buffy asked, standing awkwardly in the center of the room. "You're starting to freak me out."

"Sit down," Faith sighed, turning to face her lover. With her back to the door, Faith watched as Buffy slowly sank onto the bed, her green eyes filled with anxiety and fear. "I said that I needed to talk to you about the girls."

"Yes," Buffy agreed. "You did. What about them?"

"They're not enough," Faith replied. "They'll never be enough."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked angrily. "You and Hailey are the ones who have been so optimistic about them. I've always thought that this was going to end very badly for everyone, but the two of you managed to convince me otherwise. Now you're telling me you don't think they can handle it? What are we supposed to do now, Faith?" Buffy shouted, rising from the bed.

"Calm down," Faith pleaded, throwing her hands up defensively. "I'm not criticizing you."

"I've busted my ass trying to turn those girls into _Potential Slayers_ instead of letting them just be girls. Wasn't that good enough?" Buffy demanded.

"This isn't about you!" Faith said firmly. "It's about them and they can't hack it. For God sakes, keep your voice down so they can't hear us," Faith added, knowing that most of the girls were upstairs. Buffy sat back down on the bed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now will you just let me finish what I was trying to say?" Faith asked wearily.  
"Fine," Buffy replied curtly.

"Hailey had a dream," Faith continued.

"A Slayer dream?" Buffy interrupted, suddenly interested in the conversation again.

"Yes," Faith replied. "She believes that the First is trying to assemble an army of Turok-Han vampires in the Hellmouth."

Buffy paled. She clearly remembered the difficulty in fighting one of those vampires by itself. Even though she was a Slayer, the vampire almost won. The Potentials would not be capable of fighting Turok-Hans. "They won't stand a chance," Buffy whispered.

"No, they won't," Faith concurred. "Not unless we do something to help them."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked suspiciously. She knew that Faith wanted to tell her something that she was not going to like. Faith was standing with her back to the door, her hands fidgeting nervously in front of her. Though she was speaking calmly, for the most part, she refused to look at Buffy; instead, her eyes settled somewhere above the blonde Slayer's head on the wall. Buffy smiled slightly, knowing that Faith always had difficulty trying to talk to her about things, from the smallest thing to the most important.

"They need to have an advantage. Training them isn't going to give them that advantage. They'll know how to block a punch, but blocking a punch that's ten times stronger than you, isn't gonna do shit," Faith answered.

"I take it you already have an idea in mind as to what this advantage could be?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Faith said softly. "Hailey spoke with the Coven."

"The Coven? What could they possibly do?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"A spell," Faith replied simply. "A spell to turn all of the Potentials into Slayers." Silence hung over the room as the words left Faith's mouth. Buffy stared at her blankly for a long time before emotions began to filter through her eyes. First was anger, then jealousy, then resignation, and then hope.

"We could be free," Buffy whispered, as if she believed saying the words out loud would destroy their chance.

Faith smiled and looked down at the ground. "You could be free," she said. Buffy looked up at her quizzically. "I like this life, Buffy. I always have. It's the only thing that's given me any direction or purpose. I can't just abandon that. I'm a Slayer and I'll always be one, no matter how many others there are," Faith said, finally moving forward. She sat down next to Buffy and took one of the blonde's hands in her own. "I know that you've always wanted a normal life. If we do this, you could have one. You wouldn't have to fight anymore. But I can't just give it up. I understand if you can't live with that."

Buffy blinked back tears and reached over, pulling Faith to her, and pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. When she pulled away, she said, "I'm not going to leave you because you want to keep fighting."

"But your normal life?" Faith asked.

"Will be as normal as I want it," Buffy replied. "With you in it. Besides, I don't know if I could give up being a Slayer entirely. Sure, I'd like a vacation. But after a while, I think I'd miss it."

Faith smiled, unconsciously breathing a sigh of relief. The idea had occurred to her that if the world was full of Slayers, Buffy would no longer feel the need to retain her calling. Though Faith wanted her lover to have everything that she wanted, Faith was uncertain if she could live a normal life. Slaying had been everything to her. It was the only thing that stood by herself when everything else had abandoned her. However, she would remain with Buffy as long as the blonde Slayer wished. "So you think it's a good idea?" Faith asked.

"I think if it works, it's a great idea. The First and its army won't stand a chance against an army of Slayers," Buffy replied.

"Good," Faith said, then noted, "I hope Hailey's having as much luck talking to Willow."

……………………………

"How was the desert?" Hailey asked as she and Willow entered the bedroom that they shared.

"Good," Willow replied. "Giles worked with me on meditation, you know, centering myself so that I can retain a sense of calm when I'm using magics. So I don't lose control."

"Do you think that you can?" Hailey asked.

"What?" Willow inquired.

"Keep control," Hailey replied steadily, looking earnestly into Willow's eyes.

"You want to talk to me about magic," Willow stated, suddenly realizing why Hailey believed that she would be anxious about their conversation.

"I do," Hailey said, sighing as she sat next to Willow on their bed. "I know you don't like to talk about it and I know that you're afraid to use it."

"But…" Willow said, sensing the end of Hailey's thought.

"But we're going to need you very soon," Hailey finished.

"What kind of magic are we talking about here?" Willow asked nervously. Hailey smiled and reached over, brushing a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "You mean like a protection spell?"

"No," Hailey said slowly. "Intense magic…the kind of magic you don't want to use."

"I can't," Willow started, but Hailey held up a hand to silence her.

"I'm not asking you to do it alone," Hailey elaborated. "The Coven is sending representatives to help with the spell. They believe in you. _I_ believe in you."

"You didn't see me when I went all end-of-the-world-y," Willow mumbled.

"I know a thing or two about losing control," Hailey said softly, trying to meet Willow's eyes, though the witch looked away. "I know that you can do this. It's going to be scary and there'll be a moment when you don't think that you can finish. But I know that you can. I know that if you really dig in deep and reach down inside of yourself, you'll find that there's so much goodness in you. Nothing evil can stand against that."

Willow sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "You really think I can do this?" She asked tearfully.

"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't," Hailey said, pulling Willow into a warm embrace. The witch melted in her arms, allowing her tears to fall freely. Hailey closed her eyes, feeling a deep pain in her heart, knowing that she was partly the cause of Willow's sadness and frustration. She wish that she did not have to ask her lover to perform the spell, but she knew that there was no other way. Finally, Willow's tears abated and she pulled away, though she remained close to Hailey. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she laughed embarrassedly.

"Sorry about your shirt," she murmured, letting her head rest on Hailey's shoulder.

"It's okay," Hailey replied.

"So this spell that I'm going to be doing…what is it?" Willow asked.

Hailey smiled and looked down at her. "You're going to do it?"

"Yeah," Willow said softly. "I can do this."

"I had a dream, a Slayer dream," Hailey began. "I saw that the First was amassing an army of Turok-Han vampires. I knew, even in that dream, that we would be unable to defeat them. No matter how much we train the girls, they're just not strong enough."

"The spell is to strengthen them?" Willow questioned.

"In a way," Hailey responded. "The Coven believes that we can take control of the Slayer line, break it away from the influence of the Powers that Be, and turn all of the Potentials into Slayers."

"Gods," Willow said breathlessly, lifting her head to look into Hailey's eyes. "You want me to turn all of the girls into Slayers?"

"Yes," Hailey faltered, penetrated by the intensity of Willow's gaze.

"Can that even be done?" Willow wondered aloud.

"The Coven seems to think so," Hailey assured her. "I wasn't so sure myself, but when I spoke to the Head Mistress, she seemed optimistic."

"This definitely isn't a protection spell," Willow muttered, rubbing her forehead. "We're going to need some heavy magics for this."

"I don't like asking you to do this, Will," Hailey said emphatically. "But we're not going to defeat the First without this spell. I know that. It may seem pessimistic, but it's true."

"I know it's true," Willow said sadly. "We've faced some unbeatable odds, but to fight the first of all evils, that's a burden that we can't help but buckle under. Even with three Slayers, I don't believe that anyone had much hope."

"But an army of Slayers," Hailey said, her eyes twinkling, "not even the first of all evils could stand against that."

…………………………………..

The First stood in the hidden room of the vineyard, angrily staring at the empty place on the altar where the Scythe had previously rested. A few Bringers were hovering behind her, their heads bent with guilt, knowing that they had been the cause of their master's unhappiness. "Where's my Scythe?" The First finally asked. In its mind, it heard the answer. The Bringers could not speak aloud; it had taken that privilege away from them. Only through the First could they speak and so it heard their very thoughts. She heard them say that the Slayers came and took the Scythe when they had been gathered at the high school, aiding in the process of assembling the Turok-Hans. The First laughed without humor.

"It matters not," it said confidently. "With or without the Scythe, the Slayers will fall under my army. There is no other end to this." The Bringers filed out of the room as quickly as they could. Caleb had been killed. Hailey still lived. The Scythe had been taken. These things were setbacks for the First, but nothing more, for the First still had some tricks up its sleeves. The Slayers thought that they were untouchable now that Caleb was gone, but little did they know that even as they celebrated their victory, a traitor lingered in their midst. The vineyard could be abandoned; the First no longer required it. Everything that was needed lie in the basement of Sunnydale High School. The First smiled and walked out of the room and up the stairs. As it walked out into the light of day, it murmured, "Eternal night will fall upon this place and all will be brought to ruin."


	48. The Back Door

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming.

Previously:

Wesley yanked open the door, prepared to fight. "Hello?" A girl asked anxiously, standing on the porch. She saw the two men and relaxed. "Sorry to wake you," she added. "But I was told to come here."

"Ah," Giles said, relief evident in his voice. "Another Potential."

……………….

The Slayers thought that they were untouchable now that Caleb was gone, but little did they know that even as they celebrated their victory, a traitor lingered in their midst. The vineyard could be abandoned; the First no longer required it. Everything that was needed lie in the basement of Sunnydale High School. The First smiled and walked out of the room and up the stairs. As it walked out into the light of day, it murmured, "Eternal night will fall upon this place and all will be brought to ruin."

Chapter Forty-Seven:

"Who is that?" Faith asked, watching the girls prepare for the morning's exercises. "I've never seen her before."

"She's new," Giles replied, following Faith's gaze. "Arrived a couple of days ago."

"What's her name?" Faith questioned. She watched the girl closely. Something about her seemed wrong.

"Lucy, I believe," Giles answered matter-of-factly. "Why?"

"No reason," Faith said, forcefully pulling her gaze away from the girl and looking at Giles.

"So what did all of you want to talk to me about?" Giles asked, sitting down at the island counter in the kitchen.

"The Coven is coming today," Buffy said.

"Really?" Giles asked in surprise. "Who contacted them?"

"I did," Hailey said.

"What for?" Giles asked, surprise turning to suspicion.

"We've all talked," Buffy said. "We want to do a spell to turn the Potentials into Slayers."

Giles sat silently for a moment, looking into each of their faces. "I don't like it."

"Why not?" Faith asked.

"You'll be messing with powers that you shouldn't have any control over," Giles responded firmly.

"The Coven thinks that it'll work," Hailey argued. "They're willing to do it."

"Who are you to change those girls' lives?" Giles countered. "They're Potentials today and tomorrow they're all Slayers? Some of those girls could go on to have normal lives after all of this is done."

"None of those girls are going to have normal lives," Buffy said softly. "Whether we do the spell or no, each of those girls is going to have to live with the knowledge of what really goes on in this world."

"Being a Slayer is a sacred thing," Giles argued. "It's a calling, a duty. It's not for everyone. There's a reason why one girl is picked over another."

"We can't rely on ancient reasons anymore," Willow said, stepping into the argument. "Those may have worked back in the old days, but that was before the First Evil rose up to destroy the very line of Slayers itself. These girls are targets. They need to have all of the advantages that they can."

"You're going to aide in the performance of the spell?" Giles asked warily.

"Yes," Willow said, gulping.

"Such a spell would require powerful magics," Giles noted.

"I'm aware," Willow replied.

"Are you sure that you can handle it?" Giles asked.

"I can handle it," Willow said determinedly.

"I don't suppose that I can talk any of you out of this, now that you've already made up your minds," Giles sighed. "But I don't like it."

"You don't have to do anything," Buffy assured him. "We just wanted to let you know."

Giles nodded and stood, walking out of the kitchen into the backyard. "I think that went well," Faith muttered.

"I didn't expect him to like it," Buffy said. "He hasn't been pleased with much of anything since I stopped relying on him for guidance for everything."

"He just wants to make sure that we don't make any mistakes," Willow defended.

"I know," Buffy said, sighing. "I feel like even though he's here now, a part of him will always be in England, and the rest of him wants to be there too."

"I don't think that's his problem," Faith replied, watching Giles instructing the girls. "The Watcher's Council was destroyed. Even though his relationship with them towards the end was rocky at best, he was still a part of it. He'll always be a part of it. I think he doesn't know where he fits in anymore now that it's all gone."

"When did you get so wise?" Buffy teased.

"I have my moments," Faith joked back.

"The Coven should be here soon," Hailey said. "They're going to want to go over the spell with you," she added to Willow.

Willow nodded. "I'm going to go meditate until they arrive. I'm feelin' the need for some centered calm," she said, smiling.

"When are we going to tell the girls?" Hailey asked. She knew that their decision to perform the spell would alter the girls' lives permanently. Some of them would be angry at having the choice taken from them. Others, like Kennedy, would be happy to be given the opportunity to become a Slayer – an opportunity that they might not have otherwise enjoyed.

"Not yet," Faith said before Buffy could speak.

"I thought we should tell them as soon as possible," Buffy argued.

"No," Faith said, allowing her eyes to linger on Lucy again. "Not until the last possible moment," she added.

"Why not?" Buffy demanded.

"Just trust me on this, okay?" Faith pleaded, shifting her gaze to her lover. "The First knows that we have the Scythe. It knows that Caleb is dead. It doesn't know that we know about the Turok-Hans and it doesn't know about our plan with the spell. I'd like to keep it that way."

"You think one of the girls would tell?" Hailey asked.

"I think if the First got its hands on one of the girls, she wouldn't stand a chance at hiding anything," Faith answered. "Some secrets are better revealed at the very end of things."

"Fine," Buffy relented. "We'll tell them the day we're going to attack the First."

"When will that be?" Hailey inquired.

"Soon," Buffy said. "As soon as the Coven knows that it can do this spell."

……………………..

"No, I don't feel like I'm walking into a trap or anything," Spike muttered under his breath as he slipped through one of the classroom windows of Sunnydale High School. He had volunteered to scope out the school for a way for the Slayers to enter on the night of the battle without being noticed. "At least I hope they're planning on having this party at night," he said to himself. "I can't very well kick ancient vampire ass at noon."

Cautiously opening the classroom door, he entered a darkened hallway. The sun had set shortly before and red rays of light still lingered on the horizon. The Coven had arrived some hours before, a grave group of individuals who seemed more otherworldly than human. They had locked themselves in the living room with Willow from the moment they arrived and had not emerged. The others were beginning to wonder what they were doing in there, but Spike did not particularly care. Magic never held much appeal for him. He almost looked on it as cheating. If a fight could not be won without resorting to magic, than perhaps it should not be won in the first place. However, he wanted the Slayers to defeat the First.

He chuckled at him own thoughts. Not long ago, he had been hell bent on killing Buffy Summers. He had been proud of his accomplishments, killing Slayers, and feeding on the helpless masses for over a hundred years. But since he regained his soul, his views seemed to have changed dramatically. He felt ashamed of his previous actions. Furthermore, he desired to help the Slayers in any way that he could. He and Buffy would never be friends, though he may have wished it, but he, Hailey, and Faith were becoming fast friends. Spike may not have been many things, but he was fiercely loyal to those about whom he cared.

"So you're all hiding in the basement," he muttered. "How do we get to the basement without being obvious?" He knew only one way to access the basement – through a door located in the main hallway. However, that door was most certainly being watched. The Bringers would ambush them if they tried to enter the basement from there. There had to be another way into it. Spike crept up the hallway until he reached an intersection. He looked down the four paths that lie ahead of him and sighed, unsure upon which path to set his feet. The gymnasium was directly ahead of him. The front doors were to his left. The back doors were to his back and the cafeteria was to his right.

Turning to his right, he carefully made his way down the hallway until he reached the cafeteria. There did not appear to be any access for the basement in the cafeteria itself. However, he thought there might be in the kitchen. As the light from the sun disappeared from view altogether, the cafeteria became dark and ominous. Spike felt as though every sound he made echoed loudly off of the walls. He gripped the knob of the door leading to the kitchen and turned it, but found it locked.

"Bloody hell," he murmured. Glancing around, he lifted his booted foot, and swiftly kicked open the door. The sound of it breaking open did in fact echo throughout the room and Spike waited with bated breath, wondering if anyone had heard. After several long moments, when nothing happened, he entered the kitchen. There were no windows in the kitchen and Spike had to rely on his supernatural senses to navigate the dark. Scanning the room, he noticed a door in one of the corners. Moving swiftly over to it, he pulled it open. A staircase descended before him.

"Checkmate," he whispered and silently closed the door again. He had found what appeared to be an entry into the basement that was not being guarded by Bringers. Quickly exiting the cafeteria, he crept back down the hallway until he found the classroom from which he had entered the school. He could feel the Hellmouth tugging at the back of his mind and causing his fingers to tingle. It had always done so. Even though he possessed a soul, the demon in him still lingered buried in the depths of his mind. The Hellmouth was calling to it, but he would ignore it. He had chosen his side.


	49. The Medallion

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming.

Previously:

"Checkmate," he whispered and silently closed the door again. He had found what appeared to be an entry into the basement that was not being guarded by Bringers. Quickly exiting the cafeteria, he crept back down the hallway until he found the classroom from which he had entered the school. He could feel the Hellmouth tugging at the back of his mind and causing his fingers to tingle. It had always done so. Even though he possessed a soul, the demon in him still lingered buried in the depths of his mind. The Hellmouth was calling to it, but he would ignore it. He had chosen his side.

Chapter Forty-Eight:

"You're leaving? Now?" Faith asked incredulously as Buffy slipped on her jacket.

"Someone has to patrol," Buffy stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"They've been in there all day," Faith whispered conspiratorially. "What are they even doing?"

"I don't know," the blonde Slayer replied, glancing at the closed living room door uneasily. "I've never understood magic."

"I know," Faith agreed. "It kinda creeps me out."

"I'm only going to be gone for a little while," Buffy said, smiling crookedly. "I just want to take a quick sweep of the cemeteries."

"You're going alone?" Faith questioned.

"I'll be careful," Buffy promised.

"Take Hailey with you," the dark haired Slayer suggested.

"She doesn't want to leave," Buffy said, shaking her head. "She wants to be here when the Coven is done with Willow."

"I get that," Faith nodded. "Just be careful. We don't know what the First has out there. And if you see one of those badass vampires out there, just let it be."

"We're Slayers, Faith," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "We're not supposed to _run_ from the evil. We're supposed to _fight_ the evil."

"No one ever said you had to fight it whole heartedly," Faith argued. "Anyway, just be careful and come home soon."

"I will," Buffy said, leaning in and giving Faith a quick kiss on the lips. She disappeared out of the front door. Faith watched her vanish into the night and sighed, closing the door behind her. Spike was due back from the high school with information about the First's plans on the Hellmouth. Faith glanced over at the living room doors, suppressing the urge to press her ear against the wood, and listen to whatever the Coven was saying to Willow.

The Coven had arrived that afternoon, cloaked in black. They had not spoken to anyone but Giles, Willow, and Hailey. The Mistress of the Coven, Amelia, had exchanged a few words with Hailey that seemed to cause great anxiety in the new Slayer. Hailey had been on edge ever since. Giles, unhappy with the spell anyway, had been rather short and curt with the Coven members. However, they had not appeared to take offense. They had ushered Willow into the room, closed the door, and had not emerged since. Faith wondered about what they were talking. Though she did not know much about magic, she knew that the spell they were going to perform was complicated and dangerous.

"Where'd Buffy go?" Hailey asked somberly, emerging from the kitchen.

"Patrol," Faith said simply.

"They're still in there?" Hailey asked, nodding towards the door.

"Haven't taken a break," Faith confirmed. "What did they say to you anyway?"

"They think that the spell is dangerous," Hailey said lowly.

"To Willow?" Faith asked.

"Yes," Hailey nodded. "They think that someone should be there with her…for a number of reasons."

"Like?" Faith inquired.

"She's gonna be vulnerable when she's doing the spell," Hailey explained. "Vulnerable enough to leave her open to attack should any vampires get out of the Hellmouth."

"So they want someone there to protect her?" Faith asked.

"There's another reason too," Hailey continued, ignoring Faith's question.

"What?"

"They're afraid she might lose control," Hailey answered. Faith laughed humorlessly.

"They want someone to take her down if she does," Faith said angrily.

"Yeah," Hailey nodded.

"So who do they want this person to be?" Faith questioned. "Buffy would never do it. I don't think I could either."

"They want me to do it," Hailey answered, watching the living room door intently.

"Did you say yes?" Faith asked.

"I did," Hailey answered. "If anyone's gonna do it, I want it to be me."

"I can't believe that they would ask you to do that," Faith shook her head.

"It's just a precaution," Hailey said, smiling over at Faith. "I believe in her."

"So you won't be fighting with us then?" Faith asked.

"No," Hailey said disappointedly. "I was rather looking forward to that as well." Faith was about to respond when the front door opened and Spike swaggered in with a smile covering his face.

"Guess who got your information?" He said smugly.

"You found a backdoor in?" Faith asked hopefully.

"That I bloody well did. In the kitchen, there's a door that leads down to the basement. No one was guarding it," Spike answered.

"It's all coming together," Hailey said, with some dread mixed in her voice.

"So when is it all going down, anyway?" Spike asked.

"We don't know for sure," Faith answered. "Buffy will decide."

"You think the girls are all ready?" The blonde vampire questioned.

"Doesn't matter if they are," Hailey replied. "They're gonna have to fight either way."

"I don't know if I'm ready," Faith muttered.

Hailey smiled sympathetically. "I don't think any of us has a choice."

The sweep of the cemeteries had proven fruitless. The normal vampires had all but disappeared from Sunnydale. Though Buffy was confident in her abilities as a Slayer, with every little noise, she found her heart pumping wildly with fear that a Turok-Han was lurking behind her. She was walking back to the house, her mind racing with thoughts of the upcoming battle, when she heard a twig snap behind her. Stopping suddenly, she gripped her stake. "Relax," a familiar voice said from behind her. "It's just me."

Buffy spun around, searching the darkness for a face to connect to the voice. Angel stepped out of the shadows and smiled softly. "You should know better than to sneak up on a Slayer," Buffy admonished. "I might have staked you."

"I think I could take you," Angel joked. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"What're you doing here?" She asked.

"Not happy to see me?" Angel shot back.

"You know what I mean," Buffy replied. "It's been a while."

"I have something for you," Angel said, reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket. He pulled out an object wrapped in tissue paper.

"Gee, Angel, you shouldn't have," Buffy joked, accepting the tissue wrapped object as Angel extended it to her. She carefully unwrapped it, letting the tissue fall to the ground. Holding the object up to the light of the streetlamps, she watched the silver of the medallion sparkle. "What is this?"

"I don't know much about it, truthfully. My information isn't from the most reliable of sources," Angel explained. "But I do know that it's incredibly powerful and dangerous. It's supposed to be worn by a champion, someone with a soul, but stronger than a human."

"Like me?" Buffy asked. "Or Faith, or Hailey," she muttered as an after thought.

"No," Angel said, shaking his head. "Like me."

"You?" Buffy asked in surprise. "I don't think so."

"What?" Angel questioned incredulously.

"You belong in Los Angeles," Buffy explained. "Not here. This is my fight."

"This is bigger than either of us," Angel retorted.

"I have all of the help I need," Buffy said, turning, and continuing walking. Angel followed after her.

"That medallion is supposed to be worn by a champion," Angel argued.

"And I have someone in mind," Buffy replied matter-of-factly.

"Who?" Angel questioned.

"Spike," Buffy replied, to Angel's surprise.

"Spike? He doesn't have a soul," Angel said emphatically. "It has to be worn by someone with a soul."

"Spike _does_ have a soul," Buffy replied.

"Wait a minute," Angel said, stopping. Buffy stopped, heaving a heavy sigh, and looked back at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Are you with him?" Angel asked angrily.

"No!" Buffy replied emphatically. "I'm not with him."

"But you're with someone," Angel argued.

"It's not any of your business," Buffy said, walking on. Angel found himself following her again.

"I think it is," Angel argued.

"Do you?" Buffy said, laughing. "Fine, if you really want to know, I'm with Faith."

"Faith?" Angel asked in surprise.

"Yes," Buffy replied. "And whatever dismissive or derisive thing you have to say, just forget it."

Angel sighed. "You think I would talk bad to you about Faith?" He asked. "She's my friend too, remember?"

"So you're okay with it?" Buffy asked hesitatingly.

"Faith is a difficult person to be with," Angel said. "She doesn't open up easily. I just hope you're up for the challenge. But what's more, I hope that you can be there for her when she needs you. Sometimes it's hard to tell."

"We understand each other," Buffy said softly.

"Because you're Slayers?" Angel asked.

"Maybe," Buffy agreed. "But it's more than that. We've always been connected, ever since she first came here. I just didn't want to acknowledge it."

"So you don't want me here?" Angel asked again.

"No," Buffy said. "I don't."

"I can stay if you want," Angel offered. "Just as back up in case things go down wrong."

"You have people that need you back in Los Angeles. I've got everyone that I need here," Buffy explained. "Thanks for the medallion."

"You're sure about Spike?" Angel asked warily.

"He's changed," Buffy said. "I think you would be impressed."

"I don't know about that," Angel said, rolling his eyes.

Buffy smiled. "Thanks for coming."

"You know that I'm always here if you need me," Angel said, leaning forward and planting a chaste kiss on Buffy's cheek. Buffy nodded.

"I know," she said. Angel nodded and turned, walking in the other direction. Buffy watched him disappear into the shadows. Her heart always felt heavier when Angel was around her. She would always love him, but she knew that she could never be with him again. Even if the curse would be lifted and he could live as he wanted, Buffy would still reject him. Her life was taking her in a different direction now. She knew that she could not go backwards. She continued walking until she reached her house. The lights in the living room were still blazing. Opening the front door, she stepped into the foyer, and walked into the dining room.

"Is Spike around?" She asked Dawn, who was leaning over Andrew's shoulder, watching the video feed on the laptop from the cameras that Andrew had placed strategically around Sunnydale.

"He's in the basement," Dawn said distractedly. Buffy nodded. Opening the basement door, she walked down the stairs.

"I got your info," Spike said, recognizing the fall of Buffy's feet on the stairs.

"What did you find out?" Buffy asked, moving over to where he stood by the punching bag. It was swinging slightly. Spike placed his hand on it to stop its movement.

"There's a door in the kitchen. Leads right down into the basement. No one's watching it," Spike answered proudly. Buffy smiled.

"Good," she replied. "I have something for you. Angel brought it for you."

"Angel?" Spike questioned. "He brought me something?"

"Well," Buffy acknowledged, "not for you specifically. He \thought it was for him. But I didn't think so." Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out the medallion.

"That's a pretty thing," Spike said, taking the medallion as Buffy handed it to him.

"Angel said that it's supposed to be worn by a champion," Buffy explained. "He didn't know what it does. But he said that it's powerful."

"A champion, huh?" Spike said, holding up the medallion. "You think I'm a champion?"

"I do," Buffy said, nodding. "Prove me right."


	50. TurokHans

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I'm going to try to wrap this up soon.

Previously:

"Angel said that it's supposed to be worn by a champion," Buffy explained. "He didn't know what it does. But he said that it's powerful."

"A champion, huh?" Spike said, holding up the medallion. "You think I'm a champion?"

"I do," Buffy said, nodding. "Prove me right."

Chapter Forty-Nine:

"Is it usually this boring out there?" Dawn asked, slumped over in her chair. She was watching the video feeds around Sunnydale on the laptop with Andrew.

"Sometimes," he agreed. "But most of the time _something _interesting happens."

"I thought this was supposed to be the Hellmouth," Dawn grumbled. "Shouldn't we be seeing vampires and demons and all sorts of horrifying supernatural creatures?"

"I guess we should be glad there isn't much going on," Andrew replied, shrugging.

"I know," Dawn muttered. "But still, I thought video duty would be a little more fun."

"Well," Andrew said, thinking, "We could play a game."

"Like what?" Dawn asked, perking up.

"I see something green," Andrew stated.

Dawn peered into the monitor, quickly glancing over the eight separate screens that divided the viewing area. "Okay, you have to pick something harder than that," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "Grass."

"I was just getting warmed up," Andrew said defensively.

"I see something red," Dawn replied. Andrew gazed at the screen for several long moments before clicking his fingers together and looking over at her triumphantly.

"Coke can," he stated.

"Yep," Dawn said.

"Okay," Andrew said seriously, "I see something yellow."

Dawn scanned the screens intently. "Potato chip bag."

"Damn," Andrew muttered. "You're good at this."

"My turn," Dawn said happily. "I see…oh shit," she said, leaning forward with her eyes wide.

"You see what?" Andrew asked in surprise.

"Can you zoom in on camera three?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah," Andrew replied. He typed several commands into the computer and the images from the third camera filled the screen. "Oh," he said nervously, "I see now."

"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked, looking over into Andrew's terrified eyes.

"Downstairs with Spike," Andrew replied. Dawn bolted from her chair, running over to the basement door, and flying down the stairs.

"Buffy," she said breathlessly.

"What?" Buffy asked concernedly, seeing her sister's frightened expression.

"We saw something on the camera," Dawn said. "You should come see it." Buffy followed her sister up the stairs and into the dining room. Hailey was standing over Andrew's shoulder with a grave expression on her face.

"What is it?" Buffy asked, moving around the table until she could see the monitor.

"Turok-Hans," Hailey answered. "Lots of them."

"Shit," Buffy said. "We're not ready for this."

"What do you mean?" Hailey asked.

"We can't fight them," Buffy answered.

"We can't just let them wander the town at will. Are you even watching this? They're slaughtering people," Hailey yelled emphatically.

"And what are we supposed to do?" Buffy shouted back. "The girls aren't ready yet. We can't do the spell tonight. We don't have everything that it'll require. If we go out there, chances are pretty good we're not coming back. Then what? The First will have the run of this town and everyone in it."

"What makes you think the First doesn't already?" Hailey questioned. "This is our job. This is what we do. This is the _only_ reason why we're here!"

"The reason why we're here is to protect those girls," Buffy said, her voice hushed. She knew that the Potentials could hear them arguing. "If we leave them, we fail in that responsibility. I can't live knowing that those girls died because of me."

"What about those people?" Hailey asked, pointing to the screen. One of the vampires had ripped into the throat of a young man. Hailey watched as people scattered, running from the horde of vampires that was scouring Main Street for victims.

"I don't know those people," Buffy said gravely. "Either you're with me or not, Hailey. You may be a Slayer, but I'm the one in charge. So fall in line or go fight them by yourself." Hailey stared steely into Buffy's eyes. Dawn and Andrew glanced over at each other. They could both feel the intensity of the Slayers' gaze piercing everything in the room. Finally, Hailey looked away.

"I guess I'm fighting them by myself then," she said, looking back at Buffy, who started in surprise.

"Hailey!" Buffy called after her as she walked away. "What about Willow?"

Hailey stopped and sighed heavily. "What about her?" She asked, turning back to the blonde Slayer and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Who's gonna protect her? Who's gonna be there for her? You? If you go out there by yourself, they're gonna kill you," Buffy argued. "Do you really want Willow to have to live with that? That pain of knowing that someone else she loves has died horribly?"

"Don't bring her into this," Hailey shot back.

"I have to," Buffy said. "To make you see reason. We're fighting a war and, as much as I hate to say this, there are casualties in war."

"What do you want me to do?" Hailey finally asked, after several long moments of silence.

"Get everyone in the basement. We'll wait the attack out until dawn," Buffy replied commandingly. Hailey nodded. As much as she wanted to help the people being slaughtered by the Turok-Hans, she could not leave Willow. Hailey did not know whether Buffy was right, but she knew that she had to follow Buffy, or the rest of the girls would doubt the blonde girl's authority. "Can you move the equipment downstairs?" Buffy asked, turning to Andrew as Hailey walked out of the dining room.

"I can," Andrew replied.

"Do it quickly," Buffy suggested.

Hailey stepped up to the living room doors and breathed deeply. Pressing her palms against the wood, she pushed the doors open. The Coven members looked up at her in surprise. "We asked that we not be disturbed until we're finished," Amelia said firmly.

"I'm sorry," Hailey apologized, her eyes falling on Willow. "But it's not safe here for you anymore."

"What're you talking about?" Willow asked, rising to her feet. She had been seated on the floor with Amelia in a circle formed by the rest of the Coven members.

"Vampires are looting the town," Hailey said. "Buffy is ordering everyone to wait out the attack in the basement until dawn."

"We're not fighting them?" Willow questioned.

"No," Hailey sighed. "If you would please," she said, motioning towards the basement door. The Coven members nodded and filed down the stairs. Willow lingered behind.

"You want to fight them," she stated.

"It doesn't matter," Hailey shook her head.

"Are you going to leave me?" Willow asked vulnerably.

Hailey smiled and stepped forward, gently touching the side of her girlfriend's face. "No," she said sincerely. "I'm not going to leave you."

"Willow," Amelia said, appearing in the doorway of the basement.

"Yes?" Willow asked, turning back.

"We should do a protection spell on the basement. I know that you've already performed one on the house, but with so many vampires attacking, I'm afraid that it will fail. We can do a stronger one together."

"I'll be right there," Willow nodded. Amelia disappeared back into the darkness of the basement.

"Go," Hailey instructed. "I have to get the rest of the girls."

"You'll be okay?" Willow asked. Hailey nodded and Willow joined Amelia in the basement to perform the protection spell.

Hailey walked out of the living room and up the stairs that led to the second level. Faith was already in the process of moving all of the girls into the basement. "Hurry up!" Faith said. "It's not safe up here."

"Kennedy," Hailey said, pulling the dark haired Potential to the side.

"Yeah?" Kennedy asked nervously.

"I need your help with something," Hailey said, pulling the girl back down the hallway. "If the vampires get in, they're going to raid our stuff. One of the boxes of guns and ammunition is already in the basement. But I moved the other into my room. Can you help me move it? It's rather heavy."

"Yeah," Kennedy said, relieved.

"Everything okay?" Faith asked them.

"Kennedy is going to help me move the gun box," Hailey replied.

"Okay," Faith nodded. "I'll be downstairs waiting for you guys."

Hailey and Kennedy briskly moved towards the room that Hailey and Willow shared. Pushing open the door, they headed straight for the box. "There's another reason why I asked you," Hailey said. She threw open the lid and pulled out one of the guns. "This is yours," she said, handing the shiny, silver gun to the younger girl.

"Really?" Kennedy asked in surprise.

"I know that we've had our differences," Hailey understated, "but you're one of the best Potentials here. Buffy, Faith, and I can't be everywhere at once. Those girls need everyone that they can get to protect them."

"Thanks," Kennedy said, smiling sincerely. "Truce?" She asked, extending her hand to Hailey. Hailey smiled and took it.

"Truce," she replied. Closing the lid of the box, they picked it up and moved it out into the hallway. They had reached the top of the stairs when Hailey felt the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stand alert. "Shit," she said, dropping the box and pulling out her own gun.

"What is it?" Kennedy asked.

"They're here," she replied. "Grab some more ammunition."

"Why?" Kennedy asked, shoving several boxes into the pockets of her pants, as well as another gun, which she jammed into the waistband of her jeans.

"We're going to need it," Hailey said, doing the same. Suddenly, the front door burst off of its hinges. The Turok-Hans stood, slobber dripping off of their jaws, growling lowly in the doorway. Faith stood in shock at the bottom of the stairs. "Faith!" Hailey called. Faith turned to look at the older girl. "Go!"

Faith leapt into action, running towards the basement door. The Turok-Hans flooded into the house as if no spell had been in place to keep them out. Diving through the basement door, Faith heard it slam shut behind her. The Coven members started chanting. "Where is Hailey?" Willow asked desperately. Faith looked back at the door and shook her head.

"Willow!" Amelia said. "We need you." Willow swallowed the lump forming in her throat and began to chant.

"What're we going to do now?" Kennedy asked. Hailey raised her gun, pointing it at the chest of the nearest vampire.

"I think it's safe to say we can leave the box," Hailey said jokingly. Kennedy looked over at her fearfully. "Just follow my lead, okay? You're going to be fine. Lesson one, Kennedy. This is what being a Slayer means. You look the thing that you're most afraid of in the world directly in the eyes and you don't back down for a second."

"I don't know if I can do that," Kennedy stated.

"Raise your gun," Hailey instructed. Kennedy raised her gun, her hand trembling slightly. "Fire." A loud bang resounded through the hallway as Kennedy pulled the trigger of her gun. The vampire she had been aiming at burst into flames. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Hailey asked.

Kenned smiled. "No, actually, it wasn't." The vampires looked down at the disintegrating body of their companion and growled loudly. Then they charged. Hailey and Kennedy turned, running back down the hallway. "What now?" Kennedy asked.

"See that window at the end of the hallway?" Hailey asked. Kennedy nodded. "Jump through it." Kennedy leapt forward, crashing through the glass. She felt herself hurdling through the air. Then she landed hard on the grass of the backyard. Hailey landed next to her and groaned.

"You okay?" Kennedy asked.

"I'm getting too old for this," Hailey muttered. Kennedy helped her to her feet. Glancing back up at the window, they saw the Turok-Hans staring down at them.

"What now?" Kennedy asked.

"Run," Hailey said as the first Turok-Han jumped. Hailey and Kennedy vaulted over the backyard fence. Landing on the other side, they continued to run through the yards of their neighbors, firing shots back at the vampires that were chasing them. The Turok-Hans ran after them, but gave up the pursuit after several blocks. Finally, Hailey and Kennedy stop running and crept out onto the street. Everything was quiet.

"We need to find someplace to hide," Kennedy said.

"How do you feel about sewers?" Hailey replied, walking over to a manhole cover.

"Pretty good right about now," Kennedy replied. Hailey lifted the metal cover off of the manhole and dropped down into the sewer. Kennedy followed after her, closing the lid back on the hole as she climbed down the ladder. It was dark in the sewer, but Kennedy's eyes soon adjusted. "Do you think we're safe down here?"

"Safer than out there," Hailey answered. "How are you on ammo?"

Kennedy unloaded the used clip and let it fall into the ankle deep water of the sewer. "That one was spent," she said, replacing it with a fresh one. "I've got two more clips and a fresh gun." Hailey nodded.

"The way I see it, we have two options," Hailey said. "We can stay down here and hide until dawn. Or we go back up there and help as many people as we can."

Kennedy looked down at the floor thoughtfully. "Stare into the eyes of the thing you fear the most and don't back down, huh?" She asked, looking back up at Hailey.

"Yeah," Hailey replied.

"Let's go do our jobs then," Kennedy said.

"They were attacking Main Street pretty heavily," Hailey said, moving further into the sewer. Kennedy followed her. "We should start there." They walked in silence until they reached the ladder that led to the first manhole cover on Main Street. "Are you sure about this?" Hailey asked. Kennedy nodded.

"Let's go kick some ass."


	51. Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews

Previously:

"The way I see it, we have two options," Hailey said. "We can stay down here and hide until dawn. Or we go back up there and help as many people as we can."

Kennedy looked down at the floor thoughtfully. "Stare into the eyes of the thing you fear the most and don't back down, huh?" She asked, looking back up at Hailey.

Chapter Fifty:

"You know," Kennedy said as Hailey placed her foot on the ladder leading up the first manhole cover on Main Street, "I heard you and Buffy talking in the dining room. You wanted to come out here and help these people all along."

"What's your point?" Hailey asked, looking back at Kennedy as she grabbed the cool, metal rung of the ladder.

"Maybe you wanted to get stuck out here. That way, you could do what you wanted to do and have a damn good reason for it," Kennedy replied.

"You're saying that I put myself in grave danger, missed my only opportunity to reach the basement safely and hide with the others, and had to flee the house for my life…on purpose?" Hailey smiled, but thought. "Maybe a little."

"Did you have to bring me along?" Kennedy questioned, following Hailey up the ladder. The rungs were wet and slimy and Kennedy suppressed the urge to rake her hands raw on her pants to rid herself of the moldy feel of the ladder.

"No," Hailey admitted. "And if I'm wrong about this, feel free to hit me really hard," she said, "but I didn't think that you were the type of person who would want to hide in a dark basement while the very enemy you've been trained to fight and kill ran rampant and unchecked through _your_ town."

"You're not wrong," Kennedy agreed. "I wasn't too happy about the proposition of hiding either."

"I do feel bad about one thing though," Hailey said, hesitating as she reached the top of the ladder. Reaching up with one hand, while she maintained a firm grip on the ladder with her other, she carefully slid the manhole cover to the side. She could see stars shining in the black sky above her. A light was flickering, but Hailey could not determine its source.

"What?" Kennedy asked.

"I promised Willow that I wouldn't leave her," Hailey replied regretfully, looking down at the younger girl.

"She'll understand," Kennedy smiled softly.

"You think?" Hailey asked.

"Trust me," Kennedy said. "She'll so happy to see you alive in the morning; she'll forget that she was ever mad at you."

Hailey laughed and glanced back up through the opening. "I don't know what we're going to see when we go up there," she said soberly. "Are you ready for this?"

"I've been ready all of my life," Kennedy whispered in response. Hailey gripped the sides of the road and pulled herself through the opening. Instantly, she knew why she had seen flickering light from down in the sewer. Fires were burning in the building nearest to the manhole. She moved to the side to allow Kennedy to climb up after her. Helping the younger girl to her feet, Hailey pulled out her gun. Her Slayer senses rang alarm bells in her mind. Kennedy coughed and covered her mouth to reduce the amount of smoke that she was inhaling.

"Come on," Hailey said, leading the way. They moved out of the alley and stepped onto Main Street, surveying the damage that the vampires had wreaked with shocked expressions.

"God," Kennedy muttered. "It looks like a war zone."

"It is," Hailey said steely as her eyes fell on the bodies of people struck down as they ran. Blood ran in the streets, gurgling through the gutters like rain. Bits of flesh mingled with the blood, blocking the tiny rivers. Everywhere, Hailey could smell death. "Be careful," Hailey instructed the younger girl softly. A sudden scream ripped out into the night and they rushed forward. The street was empty, but Hailey knew that there were vampires near.

"Over there!" Kennedy pointed, redirecting their footsteps towards the doorway of a bank. A vampire had pinned a woman against the wall, draining the blood from a streaming wound on her neck. Hailey and Kennedy both fired, striking the vampire in the back. Flames burst from its flesh and it turned to face them. Rushing towards them, it disintegrated into a pile of dust. The woman fell to the ground and did not rise.

"She's dead," Hailey said, restraining Kennedy from moving forward. "We don't need to check." Howls pierced the night. The vampires seemed to be moving closer.

"The gunshots must have alerted them to our presence," Kennedy said.

"That _is_ the one drawback of using guns," Hailey admitted. "No element of surprise." A group of Turok-Hans appeared around a corner. Hailey and Kennedy stood fast. The vampires charged. Aiming their guns, they fired until all of the vampires had fallen. The sound of the shots echoed in their ears and smoke rose from the burning bodies of the dead demons.

"Why would the First send its army out now?" Kennedy questioned. "Surely it would've expected that we would fight back."

"This isn't its army," Hailey said grimly. "This is just a taste of its army. I don't think that the First sent them out to do any real damage. It sent them out to feed."

"To gather their strength," Kennedy added. Suddenly, a new thought dawned on her, one that had already dawned on the older girl. "If it's sending its vampires out to feed tonight, it wants them to strong…to be at their most powerful."

"Yes," Hailey concurred. "Because if they feed tonight…"

"They'll be ready to launch their war tomorrow," Kennedy finished, as a cold dread crept up her spine. "Will we be ready for that?" She asked anxiously.

Hailey smiled slightly. "There's something that we didn't tell all of you."

"What?" Kennedy asked, wondering what hidden plan the Slayers had been keeping from the Potentials.

"We discovered a spell," Hailey answered. "A spell that can turn all of _you_ into _us_."

"Slayers?" Kennedy asked breathlessly. Ever since she had learned of her potential calling, she had dreamed of the day that she would become a Slayer. The thought that she never would had not crossed her mind. She had always believed that one day she would be called upon to defend the world from darkness. When Hailey had been called after Faith's brief death, Kennedy had felt that conviction slipping away from her. Suddenly, her future was in doubt. Now, however, the chance had come again for her to realize her true potential.

"Slayers," Hailey said, nodding. "We didn't want to tell all of you until the last moment."

"Why?" Kennedy asked.

"Faith," Hailey replied. "She felt very strongly about that. I don't know why."

"I'm going to be a Slayer," Kennedy whispered to herself, smiling brilliantly.

"You are," Hailey agreed. "We'll be ready for them tomorrow. I have no doubt."

"Then let's kick some ass tonight," Kennedy said, energized. "The fewer vampires we have to fight tomorrow, the better."

The stars were starting to fade and the moon had fallen low on the horizon when Kennedy and Hailey encountered the last group of vampires that they would face that evening. They had killed many during the course of the night, but their ammunition was running low. Five Turok-Hans stood between them and the road that they needed to walk to return to the house. The sky was starting to lighten as the sun rose. Hailey could smell fear on the vampires. They knew that they had to hurry or they would not arrive back at the school before dawn.

The vampires charged at them. Kennedy fired two shots, only to hear the click of an empty cartridge as she tried to fire a third. "Shit," she growled one of the vampires tackled her. Hailey shot two through the chest and turned to the last, which had perched itself on top of Kennedy, and was trying to sink its teeth into the girl's neck, despite her rather effective struggles. Pulling the trigger, Hailey watched as the vampire burst into flames. The fire licked onto Kennedy, who rolled out the way into the gutter, slapping out the flames that had been dancing on her arm.

"You okay?" Hailey asked.

"I'm fine," Kennedy grumbled. "Out of ammo, though," she added. She was about to pull herself to her feet when a crumpled newspaper caught her attention. The gutter was filled with trash of all sorts, but the paper seemed to draw her eyes. Picking it up, she stared with horror at the picture featured on the front cover. "You have to look at this," she said, leaping to her feet, and shoving the paper into Hailey's hands.

"Body of teenage girl found in dumpster," Hailey read, letting her eyes fall onto the picture of a smiling, young girl. "Is that..." she trailed off, recognizing the girl's face.

"Lucy," Kennedy confirmed.

"But she's not dead," Hailey said confusedly, "she's living at our house."

Kennedy smirked and rolled her eyes. "Really? The dead girl is living at our house?"

"Yeah," Hailey replied, still perplexed.

"You have to be the densest person alive," Kennedy muttered. "She's not Lucy. She's the First."

"Oh," Hailey replied, the connections suddenly forming in her mind. "Oh!"

"We have to get back," Kennedy said. "Before someone says something that the First shouldn't hear."

"Like Buffy giving away our secret plan to the girls this morning to make them feel better about having to hide from the vampires they're eventually going to have to fight anyway," Hailey filled in the blanks.

Kennedy nodded. "Exactly."

……………………………..

The first light of dawn rose above the horizon. Buffy watched it through the small window in the basement. Faith walked over to her and placed her hand on the blonde Slayer's shoulder. "Do you think that they're gone?" Buffy asked. Faith smiled and nodded. "What about Kennedy and Hailey?"

Faith sighed and looked away. "I don't know. There were a lot of vampires."

Buffy surveyed the girls' faces as she looked around the basement, sensing their hopelessness. "We have to tell them now."

"What?" Faith asked.

"We have to tell them about the spell. They need to know. We just made them cower and hide from the very vampires that we're going to make them fight. They need to know why it's going to be okay then when it wasn't now," Buffy stated.

"I don't know why, but I still don't think that it's the right time," Faith argued. Buffy sighed.

"We can't wait for the right time anymore," she said. "Everyone, listen up," she said loudly so that everyone could hear her. "There's something that we need to tell you."

Before Buffy could begin to speak, however, the basement door suddenly burst open and two shadowy figures appeared at the top of the stairs. "What happened to the protection spell?" Faith demanded, grabbing a stake, and preparing to fight. The protection spell performed by the Coven and Willow had effectively blocked the Turok-Han vampires from entering the basement, though they had burst through the protection spell Willow had placed on the house some time before with little trouble.

"It doesn't protect against friends," Amelia explained with a smile. "Only foes."

"Friends?" Faith asked, glancing back to the figures, who had begun to descend the stairs.

"Honestly," Hailey said, "we weren't gone that long. You forget about us already?" Upon seeing Hailey's face, Willow jumped up from her seat on the floor and threw herself into the Slayer's arms.

"I was so worried," she said, her words muffled as she buried her face into Hailey's neck.

"I'm okay," Hailey said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Willow asked, lifting her head to gaze into the dark haired girl's eyes.

"I left you," Hailey whispered.

"But you came back," Willow smiled and leaned forward, gently kissing the other girl. Hailey nearly melted into the kiss, forgetting where she was, until she heard Kennedy cough behind her.

"Oh yeah," she said, breaking her kiss with Willow. "We found out something tonight."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Someone in this room isn't who she says she is," Kennedy stated bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, suddenly fearing that the suspicions that had been nudging at the back of her mind were true.

"Should we tell them?" Hailey asked, turning to Lucy. "Or do you want to?"

Lucy laughed and the evil sound resounded throughout the room. Everyone turned to face her and the Potentials standing near her scattered out of the way. "So you finally figured me out?" The First asked, stepping forward. "Just when we were about to get to the good stuff. But please, Buffy, continued your speech. What great gem of hope were you about to give these girls?"

"You'll never find out now," Buffy growled angrily.

"What's going on?" Willow asked, her question sounding the confusion harbored by nearly everyone else.

"Lucy isn't Lucy," Faith confirmed. "Lucy is the First. I knew there was something off about you," she added, speaking to the once Potential.

"Well, apparently you were the only one. Not even the great Coven knew that the very essence of evil was lurking within this house," the First said mockingly.

"Get out," Buffy commanded. "You're not welcome here."

"Enjoy your command while you have it, Slayer," the First snarled, before it began to fade rapidly from sight. "By tomorrow night, you'll all be dead."


	52. The End of All Things

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews.

Previously:

"Lucy isn't Lucy," Faith confirmed. "Lucy is the First. I knew there was something off about you," she added, speaking to the once Potential.

"Well, apparently you were the only one. Not even the great Coven knew that the very essence of evil was lurking within this house," the First said mockingly.

"Get out," Buffy commanded. "You're not welcome here."

"Enjoy your command while you have it, Slayer," the First snarled, before it began to fade rapidly from sight. "By tomorrow night, you'll all be dead."

Chapter Fifty-One:

"Everything is okay," Buffy said, holding up her hand to silence the Potentials.

"The First Evil was living with us!" One of them said emphatically. "We can't fight it. We don't even know when it's walking around with us."

"We can fight it," Buffy replied firmly. "And we will. You just have to have faith that we can do this."

"Have faith?" Another asked, with a sarcastic edge to her voice. "You hid us away in the basement when the Turok-Hans came. But tonight we're going to have to fight them anyway. If you didn't think we were ready last night, how are we going to be ready tonight?"

"We have a plan," Faith answered, stepping in. She could see that Buffy was starting to become overwhelmed.

"We haven't led you astray yet, we won't now," Buffy added.

"What plan?" Colleen asked.

"Should we tell them now?" Buffy asked, looking to Faith for guidance.

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "I think so."

"We hid you in the basement last night because you are all Potentials," Buffy answered. "Tonight…you won't be."

"What does that mean?" Amanda asked.

"We're going to do a spell," Willow replied. "It's going to turn all of you into Slayers."

"So we'll be able to fight," Colleen said, piecing the plan together, and smiling over at Maria.

"Can you even do that?" Another Potential asked. "It's not up to you who becomes Slayers."

"It's unnatural," another said.

"You're taking our choice away!" Another protested.

"You don't have a choice," Hailey said firmly, the strength in her voice silencing the girls. "You never did. Did you really think that when you were training with your Watchers you had a choice about whether you would be the next Slayer? You didn't know if it would happen then, but you do now. You're going to become Slayers…all of you. For too long we've been the subjects of fate, blown about by the whims of the Powers that Be. Not anymore. They didn't give us a way to fight the First, so we're going to make one. This isn't the time for doubts. If you don't want to fight, you'll die."

"We go to battle tonight," Buffy interrupted. "No one got much sleep last night. I suggest that everyone gets some rest while we still can. Not everyone is going to walk out of that school alive come morning. Keep that in mind. If there's something that you've been wanting to do, now's the time."

………………………………..

"You know," Hailey said, closing the bedroom door behind her, "I really gotta say that I can't wait until all of this is done."

"We could all be dead come tonight," Willow replied, moving over to the window. The sun was shining bright outside, lighting the world in a golden hue, but the light seemed false. It reminded her of the day that Tara died. It had been beautiful that day, with the sunlight streaming in the window.

"You're very optimistic today," Hailey quipped. Willow smiled sadly and looked back at her.

"It's true," she countered. "The big battle is tonight. I can't even begin to imagine how many people are going to die. Looking around at everyone, you try to imagine what life would be like without them…like Xander…or Giles."

"I'm sure Xander and Giles are gonna be fine," Hailey assured her, moving over to the witch. She stood next to her, peering out of the window. A soft breeze was blowing.

"Or you," Willow whispered. Hailey looked over at her and smiled.

"I'm not gonna die," Hailey said softly.

"How do you know?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Hailey answered. "I just feel it."

"I don't want this," Willow said lowly. "All of this death. What's wrong with the world that everything in it is driven by violence and grief?"

"Not everything is," Hailey countered.

"Even if we stop the First Evil from destroying the Slayer line, even if we beat all of our enemies, if won't matter. Evil doesn't just lay in demons. People are the worst of all sometimes, I think," Willow replied.

"We can't stop people," Hailey said thoughtfully. "We can't kill them. It's not our job…it's not my job. My job is just to kill the demons. To kill the evil that doesn't belong here. The rest of it…maybe it does. Maybe that evil belongs here and without it, there would be no good. I don't know. But I do know that I can't worry about the evil people in this world…not until everything else is gone."

Willow sighed and gently cupped Hailey's cheek. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"Me too," Hailey said, stepping forward until her lips were only inches from Willow's.

"I want you," Willow said hoarsely. "I want you so much it feels like a fire burning in my soul." Willow crushed her lips against Hailey's, her tongue begging for entrance into the Slayer's mouth. Hailey moaned as she felt the velvety smoothness of Willow's tongue caressing hers. Slowly, Willow pushed the other girl back until her knees buckled against the bed. Hailey fell onto the blankets and Willow crawled on top of her, eagerly kissing every inch of her exposed flesh. Closing her eyes, Hailey shut out the world.

……………………………………………

"Maybe this is a bad idea," Buffy said, nearly on the verge of hyperventilating as Faith pushed her into their bedroom.

"You have to calm down," Faith whispered harshly.

"I'm going to lead all of those girls to die tonight. How am I supposed to calm down?" Buffy asked anxiously, pacing back and forth in front of the window. The harsh sunlight glared in at her, piercing her eyes. She shrunk from the light, pacing in shadow.

"No one ever said being a leader was easy," Faith said rationally. "People are going to die. You can't stop that. But if we don't destroy the First, just imagine how many more people will suffer."

"I don't know those people," Buffy argued. "I know these girls. I love them. I love my friends. I don't want to see them die."

"Buffy," Faith said emotionally, taking the older girl into her arms. Buffy melted into the embrace, resting her head on Faith's chest. The older Slayer felt small in Faith's arms, diminished, as if the weight of so many trials and battles was finally catching up to her. "Maybe you should rest," she suggested.

"I can't," Buffy shook her head. "I need to make sure that everything is ready."

"It will be," Faith said. "Just lay with me for a few minutes." Buffy looked up into Faith's eyes. Her breath stopped in her throat when she saw the wealth of love shining down at her. The blonde Slayer nodded, allowing Faith to guide her to the bed. They laid down together, Buffy curling up tightly against the younger girl.

"I love you," Buffy whispered.

Faith smiled. "I love you too, B."

…………………………….

"Well? What do you think?" Wesley asked as he poured cups of tea for himself and Giles.

Giles smiled grimly and shook his head as he lowered himself on a seat at the dining room table. "My mind keeps going back to the prophecy," he stated.

"And the Slayers will do battle against the Origin and the world will be rent in chaos and despair," Wesley said aloud. "You think that it's going to come true?"

"I honestly don't know," Giles sighed. "Not all prophecies do. But most have some truth in them."

"Perhaps there is some consequence to this spell that we haven't considered," Wesley said, taking a careful sip of his tea. It burned his tongue, but he relished the taste.

"Perhaps," Giles acknowledged. "I can't help but think that Buffy is walking blindly into something that she cannot understand. There's a reason why the Powers pick girls that they do."

"But this is a time of necessity," Wesley pointed out.

"Tonight very well could be the end of all things," Giles stated.

"If the prophecy is true, then the world is meant to end tonight," Wesley said. "Perhaps we should be reassured by that."

"I wonder what it meant by the 'world' anyway," Giles wondered. "Did it mean the world as a whole, or simply the world of the Slayers, which _would_ make more sense."

"How would that make more sense?" Wesley asked.

"The First could not destroy the entire world in one evening, no matter how powerful it is. Its power isn't in magics. It's in brute strength. The wording of the prophecy leads me to believe that this battle is the end of wherever the battle would take place," Giles said carefully. "Unless the First has a far larger army than we've anticipated," he added

Wesley sighed and cupped his mug in between his hands. The warmth spread throughout his body, but he still felt a dreadful cold in his heart. "Let's hope not."

"Of course, that would be a literal translation," Giles continued. "The prophecy may not be talking about a _place_ at all."

"What do you mean?" Wesley questioned.

"The Slayers will fight the Origin, which we know plainly enough is the First," Giles explained. "Now if the prophecy was talking about the world of the Slayers, as in the line of the Slayers, it would mean something else entirely. By doing this spell, the Slayers will be rendering the line useless, causing it to fall into chaos."

"In which case, it could very well have dire consequences later on," Wesley noted.

"Exactly," Giles nodded. "How would new Slayers be chosen? With so many different girls holding the same title, if two girls were to die, would two new Slayers be chosen? Or would none be chosen until Hailey dies…Hailey who rightfully holds the place in line."

"Unfortunately we don't have time to ponder these questions," Wesley said. "But if we did, I think we'd find that this spell may not have been the best idea."

Giles sighed heavily. "I think we may have found that already."

………………………………

The sun was slowly beginning to sink into the west when everyone gathered on the front lawn. The vampires had taken the box of guns and ammunition that Hailey had been forced to leave at the top of the stairs when she and Kennedy fled the house the night before. Only some of the girls were armed with guns now, instead of all of them. But they each had numerous stakes. The ammunition would run out before the evening did. Everyone looked grim and tired. The culmination of months of training was finally only moments away. Yet, no one seemed happy to be going to war.

"You all know where you're supposed to be," Buffy said slowly. "You all know what you have to do. We've been training for this. Now's the time. I know that you can do it. I have faith in all of you. Like I've said before, everyone isn't going to come back. I don't know who's going to die…maybe I will. I don't know. But I do know that it's been both an honor and a privilege to know and teach all of you," Buffy said, glancing into the faces of the people she loved. Setting her resolve, she said firmly, "Let's go to war."


	53. The Spell

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I think there will be two chapters left, depending on how much inspiration strikes me for the next.

Previously:

"You all know where you're supposed to be," Buffy said slowly. "You all know what you have to do. We've been training for this. Now's the time. I know that you can do it. I have faith in all of you. Like I've said before, everyone isn't going to come back. I don't know who's going to die…maybe I will. I don't know. But I do know that it's been both an honor and a privilege to know and teach all of you," Buffy said, glancing into the faces of the people she loved. Setting her resolve, she said firmly, "Let's go to war."

Chapter Fifty-Two:

The burned shell of the high school stood before them, black and ominous against the westering sun. Though a few rays were still distinctly visible, the light had faded enough that Spike was able to join them, standing in the midst of the Potentials with the medallion Buffy had given him hanging around his neck. Despite the warm breeze, Hailey shivered. She had never before been more keenly aware of the role of the Slayer. She did not know if she would walk out of that building when morning came, but she knew that she had to walk into it without any hope or any reason to believe that she would survive. She could feel evil pouring out of every crevice of the building. Its very foundations were rooted in darkness. The overwhelming urge to run forced its way into her heart. She could leave Sunnydale and never look back. But she knew that she could never leave the people gathered around her. They had become her family.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this," Willow whispered as she slipped one of her hands into Hailey's.

"I don't know if I am either," Hailey admitted.

"So what do we do about that?" Willow questioned.

"Just take one step at a time," Hailey murmured as the group began to move forward. Buffy led them with Faith standing to her right. The blonde Slayer threw open the front door of the school and they filed into the ruined hallway.

Faith gazed around the battered room, its walls charred black from the explosion that had ripped through it. She clearly remembered feeling her life slipping away from her. She shuddered at the thought, repressing the memory. But the feeling lingered in her heart. Even now, as she stood next to Buffy, the words that she had whispered to her lover to belay her fears rang false as they echoed through her mind. She was terrified of dying and she was terrified that they would fail. "I hate this place," she muttered. Buffy looked over at her sharply, but her gaze softened when she saw the fear in Faith's eyes.

"Bad memories?" She asked.

"You have no idea," Faith replied. Her foul memories of the high school did not stop with the day of the explosion. The building may have been new, but it had been built on the very place of the old one. Faith possessed many bad memories of her first year in Sunnydale; some were obvious, others were less. As time wore on, even the simplest of memories were painful to her. She could remember training with Buffy in the days before she had turned against her fellow Slayer. They had connected in a way that she had never connected with anyone. She could feel the other girl's every move. They had both been happy then. It seemed as though her happy memories caused her more pain than the sad ones. Faith did not understand why, but she knew that she never wanted to set foot in that building again after the battle was over.

"Okay, guys," Buffy said lowly, turning to face the group of forty or so people gathered tightly in the tiny hallway. "We split up here. For those going forward, the battle is going to be hard. But just imagine how good it will feel to walk away victorious when it's over. For those staying behind," she said, stopping to look at Giles, Willow, Hailey, Xander, Anya, Andrew, and Dawn, "we'll see you all again very soon."

But even as she spoke the words, Buffy had a sudden moment of doubt. She looked into the faces of the people she loved the most and feared that she would never see them again. She saw the same fear mirrored in their eyes. They were all walking a thin line between debilitating terror and foolish bravery. She could see them straying to one side or the other. But when she looked into Willow's eyes, she felt comforted, for there was no fear in the witch. Willow smiled softly at Buffy. She remembered when Buffy had first arrived in Sunnydale. Willow had only had two friends: Xander and Jesse. But Jesse had been killed by a vampire. Buffy had become one of her best friends, guiding her through difficult times in her life, and supporting her when she needed a helping hand.

Willow had given Buffy all of the support that she could give, in her own fashion. Now Buffy was asking her to give the most, but she knew that she could do it. She strengthened her will and all doubts and fears fled from her mind. She knew that many horrible things could happen that night; she could lose some of the people that she loved the most. But she would survive and she would be strong, just like Buffy needed. Buffy turned away, leading Faith and the other girls further down the hallway. The last, lingering ray of the sun suddenly shot through one of the windows, lighting the company as they departed. But the light failed and they were enveloped in shadow. Finally, when Willow could no longer see them, she turned to the remaining group and smiled. "Let's find a classroom that's mostly intact. We'll set up there."

Hailey watched her girlfriend walk a few paces ahead. She had been given two tasks to perform that evening. She was to protect Willow from any demons that might escape the Hellmouth during the battle and she was to do whatever necessary to prevent Willow from turning evil again. The words 'whatever necessary' lingered in her mind. She had made a promise to the Coven to kill Willow if she lost control, but as she watched her lover walk away, she knew that she would never be able to keep that promise. "Are you coming?" Willow asked, turning back for her when she noticed that Hailey was no longer at her side. Hailey nodded and joined her.

After choosing a secondary hallway that branched off to the left from the main corridor, they found a suitable room in which Willow and the Coven could perform the spell. Willow was holding the Scythe, the weapon that Faith and Hailey had discovered in a secret room in the vineyard. Caleb had obviously been protecting it for a reason. Hailey was unsure why Willow had taken the Scythe instead of Buffy, but it was necessary to complete some portion of the spell. Hailey closed the door behind them after everyone had filed into the room. Anya and Xander stood nervously to the side. Andrew and Dawn were standing by the windows. Giles joined the Coven in forming a circle around Willow, who had taken a seat in the center of the room.

Dawn looked out of the window. Night was swiftly falling on Sunnydale. The sun had vanished completely from sight. Its rays no longer lit the horizon in pale red. The stars were shimmering in the light of the moon, which was climbing in the sky. Dawn felt like the entire world had slammed to a halt. When they had been walking to the high school, with the dying sun fading from view, she had noticed that everything was empty. The residents of Sunnydale had fled during the day, after the vampire attack of the previous evening. Front doors were left swinging open and cars had been abandoned in the streets. The bodies of those killed by the Turok-Han still lay where they had been struck down in the streets. Dawn wondered if anything could ever wash away the blood that still ran in the gutters, pouring into the sewers. She supposed, with time, every injury to the earth faded. Rains would come and cleanse the evil from the land. But until it did, reminders would linger everywhere. She wondered if anyone would come back once the First had been destroyed. She doubted it.

The Coven lit candles around Willow. They lit the room in flickering shadows that danced on the faces of those sitting in the circle. Hailey found that she could no longer stand still. Her Slayer senses were warning her of the evil sitting just below her in the Hellmouth. The Slayer in her screamed at her to join the fight, to help the others. But she knew that she had to stay. She paced back and forth in front of the locked door, part of her hoping that the demons would try to break in so that she could show them the meaning of fear, and another part of her dreading any battle that might arise, which would put her lover at risk.

Hailey could feel energy mounting. Something was happening below them. The army of the First Evil was preparing to leave the Hellmouth. They were going to march on the Slayers. But they did not know that the Slayers had already come to them. "Start the spell," she instructed. "You have to start it now."

Willow looked up at her with concern. She looked into Hailey's eyes and saw something there that she had never before seen. Her eyes seemed to gleam golden for a split second, before they returned to the oceanic blue to which Willow had become accustomed. Willow nodded and gripped the Scythe tightly. The Coven members, with Giles joining them, slowly began to chant in an ancient language that Hailey could not identify. Hailey watched with awe. The words wrapped around her. She did not know what they meant, but she knew that they were invoking some great power – a power at which Willow was the center.

Energy flowed before Hailey's eyes, varying in shades and color. She looked over at Andrew, Xander, and Anya, but none of them seemed to notice. Dawn's eyes met hers and she knew that the teenage girl, possessing thousands of years of mystical energy, could see the swirling colors as well. Dawn smiled as she her eyes followed the energy. It took direction and began to flow directly into Willow. Willow closed her eyes the moment the first beam of energy slammed into her chest. Hailey stepped forward, concern flooding her features. Willow's mouth opened and she gasped. "Come on," Hailey murmured to herself. She could see dual forces pulling at Willow. Evil and good rioted in her heart, shaking the very foundations of her soul. The candles flickered. Amelia looked up at Willow. Everything depended on the witch maintaining control.

"You can do this," Hailey whispered. "You can do this." The last rays of energy poured into Willow. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and they were pure white. The essence of the Scythe passed into her. The very life of the Slayer line lay in her hands. The Coven had said that the Scythe was an ancient weapon forged by a group known as the Guardians. They had been mystics, who had sensed that the Council would fall into corruption and greed. Passing their strength into the Scythe, they ensured that the Slayer line reminded unmolested for centuries. Now Willow was going to change that. Willow's flowing red hair suddenly began to fade, becoming the purest white that Hailey had ever seen. It was so dazzling that she had to look away. The light surrounding Willow pierced everything and lit the room as if the noonday sun had suddenly burst open before them.

Then the light vanished. Willow fell backwards onto the floor, panting heavily. Her hair and eyes returned to their normal colors. Hailey rushed forward, kneeling beside her lover, and touching her arm gingerly and hesitatingly. "Willow?" She asked anxiously. Willow looked up at her and smiled.

"It's done," she said.

Hailey grinned. "You are a goddess," she said in awe.

"And they're all Slayers," Willow said, out of breath. The spell had taken its toll on her, that much Hailey could see easily.

"We added a little something else, as well," Amelia said, rising to her feet.

"What?" Hailey asked in confusion.

"Willow is a tremendous source of power, but so is someone else in this room," Amelia said as her eyes fell on Dawn. "You," she spoke to the girl, "are the Key. You have so much energy inside of you, yet, you've never been able to access it. Now you can."

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked. When the spell had reached its crescendo, Dawn had felt something stir in her. Her fingers were tingling.

"You have great power inside of you. I'm sorry we didn't have time to teach you how to use it properly. But we thought that if we shared this part of the plan with anyone else, other than those people performing the spell, Buffy would object."

"I can fight?" Dawn asked. Her body felt more alive than it ever had. Her muscles screamed to be used and stretched.

"You can fight," Amelia acknowledged, smiling. "But your power lies not in the ability to attack, but the ability to protect."

"Take this to Buffy," Willow instructed, holding the Scythe out to Dawn.

"Make sure the Slayers come out alive," Amelia added. Dawn reached out with a trembling hand and gripped the Scythe. She could feel power surging through her and she smiled. Finally, she would be able to help her sister. Hailey watched the young girl run from the room, directing her steps towards the cafeteria, where Buffy and the others had descended to the Hellmouth.

"How long are we going to have to wait?" Xander asked.

"If they're going to come, I wish they would just do it already," Anya grumbled. "Waiting around to die is worse than fighting for your life."

The ground suddenly shook beneath their feet. Hailey's eyes shot towards the door. She could sense evil rising about her. The vampires were coming. "I don't think we're going to have to wait much longer."

………………………………….

Buffy, Faith, and Spike led the Potentials down the stairs in the cafeteria that led to the basement. With each step, Buffy felt a sense of dread growing in her mind. They were walking into impossible odds. Yet, she felt that they would walk out again – at least some of them. Carefully maneuvering through the darkness of the basement, they finally reached the Seal, where Spike had been hung and nearly drained of blood. "The Seal leads to the Hellmouth," Spike said, his voice shattering the deathly silence that had fallen over the group.

"How do we open it?" Faith asked.

"Blood," Spike answered. Faith removed a knife from her belt and slit open the palm of her hand. Squeezing, she allowed several drops of blood to fall onto the Seal. Buffy and Spike did the same. Suddenly, it began to slide open. A dank, decaying smell rose from the pitch blackness that lay below them.

"I can't see anything," Buffy said, peering into the hole.

"I know a solution for that," Faith said. Buffy looked over at her questioningly, but Faith simply smiled. Stepping forward, she let herself fall.

"I hate it when she does that," Buffy muttered. "You okay?" She whispered harshly.

"It's not that big of a drop," Faith answered. "But hurry up, it's kinda creepy down here."

"Aw," Spike said jokingly. "Is Faithy afraid of the dark?"

"What did you just call me?" Faith called from below.

"Guys," Buffy interrupted. "Now is not the time to bicker."

"We're coming," Spike said laughingly. Buffy rolled her eyes and dropped down into the hole. Spike waited until the other Potentials had done the same before he sighed and let himself fall.

Buffy's eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. Stepping forward, she led them through a wide passageway, until they came to a sudden drop. Looking down, Buffy could see the Turok-Hans. Their fell voices lingered in the air, harshly yelling, as they prepared for war. "Fuck me," Faith muttered beside her. Buffy looked down at their enemies with despair. There were thousands of them.

"You worried yet, love?" Spike asked.

Buffy looked over at him and sighed, "Maybe just a little."


	54. The Final Battle

Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. This will be the second to last chapter.

Previously:

Buffy's eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. Stepping forward, she led them through a wide passageway, until they came to a sudden drop. Looking down, Buffy could see the Turok-Hans. Their fell voices lingered in the air, harshly yelling, as they prepared for war. "Fuck me," Faith muttered beside her. Buffy looked down at their enemies with despair. There were thousands of them.

"You worried yet, love?" Spike asked.

Buffy looked over at him and sighed, "Maybe just a little."

Chapter Fifty-Three:

Wesley maneuvered cautiously through the bus yard. While he had hoped to march into battle with the rest of the Scooby Gang, Buffy had given him a different task. Despite overwhelming odds against them, Buffy believed, or at least hoped, that they would defeat the First. Thus, they needed an exit strategy. Buffy had placed Wesley in charge of finding transportation to deliver the survivors back to the house once the battle was over. They could not be certain how many Turok-Han vampires that First had gathered. Though the First may fall, Buffy knew that the Turok-Hans would not simply surrender in despair. They would continue to fight and the Scooby Gang would need a way out.

Wesley stopped beside one of the buses. The moon shone down on him and the silence of night fell on everything. Quietly boarding the bus, he moved to the driver's seat. "If I were keys, where would I be?" He murmured to himself. Flipping down the sun visor, he smiled as a ring of keys fell into his lap. "So very predictable."

He sifted through the keys until he found one which looked to be correct and stuck it into the ignition. He turned it and the bus roared to life. Slowly, he pulled the bus out of the parking space. He was to wait in front of the building. The survivors would meet him there. He pulled the bus around to the front of the school and parked. The building was dark. It looked utterly desolate. Wesley shivered as he gazed at the burned structure. Though he had wanted to fight, he knew that he was lucky to have been picked for his job. A chill air settled in the bus and he wrapped his coat tighter around his body. All he had to do was wait.

…………………………………..

"You worried yet, love?" Spike asked.

Buffy looked over at him and sighed. "Maybe just a little. But we have the advantage so long as…" Before she could finish speaking, a deathly silence fell over the cavernous room. Smiling grimly, Buffy looked down, only to see thousands of eyes looking up at her. "They don't see us," she finished lamely. The Turok-Hans erupted in a single battle cry. The walls seemed to shake from the fury of their voices.

"I don't know about you, but I'm kinda intimidated," Faith admitted.

"Like we haven't faced overwhelming odds before," Buffy scoffed.

"This overwhelming?" Spike asked, his voice taking a whimpering tone, despite his best efforts to remain calm. Buffy looked across the drop before her and saw the First Evil standing on the opposite side. It was wearing her face. Lifting its arms, it smiled, and pushed its palms outwards towards the group of girls surrounding Buffy. With that signal, the Turok-Hans charged.

"What the…" Kennedy murmured, swaying beside Faith.

"Are you okay?" Faith asked, touching her arm. The instant Faith's fingers met the Potential's skin, they began to tingle. Kennedy looked down at her hands, as if she were seeing them for the first time. Then she smiled.

"I think it worked," she whispered. "I think I'm a Slayer." Faith looked back at the other girls, who were having similar reactions.

"Just in time," Faith murmured.

"Buffy!" A voice suddenly rang out from behind them. Buffy turned and saw her sister running through the crowd, holding the Scythe.

"Dawn?" Buffy asked confusedly. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be down here."

"Willow wanted me to give you this," Dawn said, thrusting the Scythe into her sister's hands.

"Giles was supposed to bring this down, not you," Buffy said anxiously as the Turok-Hans began charging up the hill. "Everyone get ready!" She shouted to the group. Turning her attention back to Dawn, she grabbed her sister's arm, and tried to lead her away.

"No," Dawn said, smiling softly at Buffy. "I belong here."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, looking into her sister's eyes. She saw something there that she had never seen before. A power seemed to linger there; a power that was growing with each second. "What happened to you?" She asked, knowing that something about her sister was inherently different.

"Willow woke it up," Dawn said.

"Woke it up?" Buffy repeated in confusion. Dawn nodded and smiled.

"She woke up the Key," she replied.

"They sent you here to fight," Buffy said, paling. Dawn shook her head.

"No," she answered. "They sent me here to keep you alive."

"Buffy!" Faith shouted. Buffy turned to look at her lover. Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment. "Get in position." Buffy nodded and quickly slipped Dawn one of her knives.

"Remember, the first rule of slaying," Buffy said sternly. "Don't get killed." She moved back into her position next to Faith. She could see the Turok-Hans now. They had reached the top of the hill. The first wave of vampires crashed into them. With each vampire she killed, a dozen more took its place. Buffy wielded the Scythe with expertise, lopping the head off of the nearest vampire. Turning, she sliced another through the chest. All around her, vampires were turning to dust. The dust lingered in the air, clouding her vision, until she could only see what was happening right in front of her. She had lost track of Dawn and the battle had barely begun.

Dawn froze as the vampires charged over the hill. But even as she felt her resolve weaken, she felt something else in her strengthen. Lifting the knife, she gripped it tightly in her hand. Amelia had said that her strength was not in her ability to fight, but in her ability to protect others. Dawn was not certain what that meant exactly. The vampires charged into them. Two girls near her fell. Vampires were on them immediately. Dawn felt anger surging through her. Dropping the knife, she rushed over to where the nearest girl lay. A vampire was on top of her, plunging its teeth into her neck. Reaching down, Dawn pulled the beast off of the new Slayer and lifted him high into the air. For a moment, she held him there, amazed at the strength she now possessed. Then she felt something go through her. Her hands felt like they were on fire. Glancing down at them, she saw smoke rising from her fingers. The vampire began to squirm. Flames danced out of her hands and lit the vampire in a terrible blaze. Dropping the demon, Dawn stumbled backwards, watching as it burst into flames.

"Holy shit," she muttered. Pulling her eyes away from the now charred vampire, she moved over to the wounded girl. Buffy had made no plan for how to treat the wounded; she had assumed that those who fell would not get up again. However, Dawn could see that some of the girls could continue to fight if they were able to receive some rudimentary medical care. Grabbing the fallen girl by the shoulders, she pulled her towards the back of the group, away from the battle. Finally, they reached the hole just below the Seal. "Can you get up there?" Dawn asked. The girl nodded and pulled herself through the hole, looking back down at Dawn.

"Go to Giles. Have him bandage your wound and come back down," Dawn instructed. The girl nodded and disappeared. Dawn turned and looked back down the dark tunnel that led to the battle. She could hear sounds of fighting echoing through the black chamber. Steeling her resolve, she moved forward, back into the fray.

……………………………………..

Faith slammed her knife into the neck of the vampire in front of her and yanked the blade out through the other side. The vampire stumbled forward, its head sliding off of its neck, and burst into dust. Faith took a moment and glanced around. She could see dead girls everywhere. Some of the girls who had fallen were still alive and she saw Dawn pulling them out of the battle. Spike was fighting beside her, though the medallion around his neck did not seem to be having any effect that Faith could see. She wondered why Angel had brought it or if he knew more about it than he had let on to Buffy. She thought of the blonde Slayer. She had lost sight of her lover nearly as soon as the battle had begun. She could still feel the other girl, however. Faith had always been able to feel Buffy.

A vampire appeared in front of her and charged into her, knocking her to the ground. Her head slammed against the stone floor and stars exploded in front of her eyes. "Shit," she muttered. The vampire lay heavily upon her. She could see its yellow eyes staring down at her hungrily. Its head shot forward and she felt fangs pierce her neck. Panic rose up in her chest. She felt like she could not breathe. Suddenly, the vampire was gone. Faith lifted herself onto her elbows and stared in wonder as the vampire flew through the air and landed several yards away. Looking up, she saw Dawn staring down at her.

"You okay?" Dawn asked, helping Faith to her feet.

"Tell me that you did not just do that," Faith murmured.

"I just did that," Dawn said proudly.

"Does Buffy know about this?" Faith asked, knocking another vampire out of the way as it charged at them. Spike grabbed it and twisted its head off of its neck.

"Yeah," Dawn said, a bit deflated. "I'm not so sure that she was happy about it."

"So you're what, a Slayer now? How did that happen?" Faith asked.

"I'm not a Slayer," Dawn corrected. "I'm the Key."

"You've always been the Key," Faith stated.

"No, the Key has always been me. Now _I'm _the Key," Dawn replied. "Where's Buffy?" She asked.

"The last time I saw her," Faith said, pointing through the cloud of dust and ash, "she was over there." Dawn nodded and disappeared from Faith's sight. Faith sighed and followed her.

Dawn pushed her way through the crowd until she saw Buffy. Her sister was fighting two vampires and she appeared to be losing. Dawn watched with horror as one of them grabbed her around the neck from behind. The other plunged a sword through the Slayer's stomach. But Dawn was not the only one who had seen. Faith charged through the crowd and tackled the vampire holding Buffy, rage boiling up in her heart. The vampire released the blonde Slayer and fell to the ground. Buffy collapsed onto her knees. Faith slammed a stake into the chest of the vampire she had landed on top of and rose to her feet. The other vampire glared at her haughtily.

"Faith!" Buffy said, capturing her lover's attention. Faith looked down at Buffy. Blood was spilling from her stomach. She felt the connection between them begin to fade. "Take this!" Buffy commanded, throwing the Scythe to Faith. Faith caught the weapon and felt an incredible power move into her. The vampire charge. With one clean stroke, Faith cut off its head. Dawn moved over to Buffy and wrapped her arms around her sister, pulling her away from the battle. Faith watched Dawn pull Buffy to the side. She wanted to help her girlfriend, but she knew that she had to keep fighting. Dawn looked up and nodded at Faith. The dark haired Slayer turned back to the battle as the second wave of vampires charged into the group.

"You're okay," Dawn said as she pulled her sister into the shadows of one of the rock walls. Leaning against it, she pulled the blonde Slayer into her lap.

"Everything's failing," Buffy murmured. "We're not going to win."

"Yes, we are," Dawn said firmly. Lifting up her sister's shirt, she pressed her hands onto the bleeding wound.

"You can't do anything for me," Buffy protested. "It's too deep." Dawn felt her fingers tingling as she pressed her hands against the wound. A golden light suddenly shot forth from her fingertips. Buffy gasped. She could feel the wound starting to close. The blood disappeared and when Dawn moved her hands, there was nothing left of the laceration. "How did you…?" Buffy asked, sitting up and inspecting her stomach.

"I have no idea," Dawn replied breathlessly. She could feel her power waning.

"You're tiring," Buffy stated.

"A little," Dawn admitted.

"Get out of here," Buffy commanded. Dawn shook her head. Buffy softened and added, "You've done enough. You have to take care of yourself. Go back to Giles and the others. Help the wounded girls."

Dawn sighed. "You'll be alright?" She asked.

"I'll be alright," Buffy said, helping her sister to her feet. They regarded each other for a moment. "I'll see you when it's over." Buffy said and turned back to the battle. Dawn moved through the crowed, back to the Seal. She watched as a vampire slipped up through the hole. They were starting to break through the line of Slayers. Lifting herself up, Dawn moved through the basement and climbed the stairs back up to the hallway. Several vampires were running ahead of her, heading towards the room where Willow had done the spell. Dawn followed.

………………………………….

"Are you sure sending her down there was a good idea?" Hailey asked, looking over at Amelia.

"It's her time," Amelia nodded.

Hailey was about to reply when the door burst open. A wounded girl stumbled in. "Dawn told me to come here," she said faintly. Xander rushed forward and caught her as she swayed.

"She's been bit by a vampire," Xander said, leading her over to Giles.

"Alright," Giles said, looking around the room. "There has to be a medical kit somewhere in here. Anya, Andrew, look in the adjacent rooms," he instructed. Moments later, several other girls appeared; some with wounds worse than others.

"How do you feel?" Hailey asked, moving over to Willow as Andrew and Anya reappeared with several kits shoved under their arms. The girls formed lines in front of Giles and Amelia, who tended to their wounds.

"A little shaky," Willow replied. "But I'm okay. I don't think I can use any more magic for a while though. It would drain my strength." Hailey nodded. Her eyes fell on the door to the classroom. Vampires had climbed through the Seal. She could feel them drawing nearer. Taking one of Willow's hands, Hailey lifted it to her lips, gently kissing the tender skin.

"Get everyone out of here," Hailey said lowly. "Get them to the bus."

"What?" Willow asked.

"Just do it," Hailey said, looking deeply into the witch's emerald eyes. "I love you, you know that right?" She said as she let go of Willow's hand and strode forward.

"Hailey!" Willow called after her as she stepped out of the classroom. Hailey stared down the hallway at four Turok-Hans that were charging at her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she prayed that she would survive to see her lover again. Gripping a stake in her hand, she opened her eyes, and ran forward.

……………………………….

"You heard her," Willow said. "We have to get everyone out. To the bus," she instructed, helping one of the injured girls to her feet.

"Wait," the girl said. "I'm okay."

"You're bleeding pretty heavily," Willow stated, recognizing the girl as Colleen.

"I can't leave," Colleen said.

"Why not?" Willow asked.

"I promised Maria that I wouldn't leave her behind," Colleen said. "I have to go back." Willow sighed and let go of her.

"Go on then," she said as Colleen ran from the room, speeding past Hailey and the vampires. "Everyone else," she instructed. "To the bus."

Willow led the group from the room. Xander and Anya were helping one of the girls, who's leg had been badly mauled. Andrew helped another, while Giles and Amelia brought up the rear, shepherding the injured girls and the rest of the Coven members towards the front doors. Willow paused and glanced back at Hailey. Hailey had killed two of the vampires. The other two were circling her. "Get out of here, Red," she heard Hailey say. Hailey smiled at her and nodded. Willow wanted to stay. She wanted to remain at her lover's side. But she knew that she did not have the strength to fight. Despite herself, she began to run, moving towards the front doors. Giles was waiting for her, holding the door open as the others began to board the bus. The first light of dawn was streaming in to the school.

"She'll be alright," Giles reassured her.

"I know," Willow nodded. Glancing one, last time back down the hallway at the Slayer, Willow disappeared through the doors with Giles just behind her.

……………………………

Colleen rushed down the hallway. One of the vampires had ripped into her side with its claws. Though she had wanted to remain behind and fight, Dawn had pulled her out of the way. Before they had left the house that day, she and Maria had promised each other that no matter what happened, they would not leave each other behind. Maria had become like a sister to Colleen in the time that they had become friends and she knew that she would not be able to live with herself if she abandoned her sister in the time of her greatest need. Barreling through the hallway, she burst through the basement door in the kitchen, and raced down the stairs. Finally, she reached the Seal and dropped down through the hole.

……………………………………

Hailey smashed her stake into the vampire's heart. It burst into a cloud of dust. Only one vampire stood before her. She could sense others coming. The vampire charged. Hailey sidestepped it and slammed her stake into its back. It stumbled forward a cloud of dust and ash. "Where is everyone?" Someone asked. Hailey turned and saw Dawn running towards her.

"I sent them to the bus," she replied. "Get out of here. Go with them."

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked. Hailey nodded. Dawn rushed past her, breaking through the front doors of the school. Hailey watched her go and turned back around. Another group of vampires were charging at her. Always they were coming; she could feel them in her very bones. She steeled herself, preparing for the next assault, when the ground suddenly began to shake.

"Bloody hell," Hailey muttered as the ground began to rip open beneath her. Diving to the side, she watched as the building began to violently shake around her. The vampires skidded to a stop, obviously as confused as the Slayer. Finally, they turned back around and fled. The roof was starting to collapse. Hailey struggled to get to her feet, but the ground shook brutally. Something heavy slammed into the back of her skull and she fell face first onto the ground, her eyes rolling back into her head, as her mind slipped into a sea of darkness.

……………………………..

Spike suddenly stopped fighting and looked down with awe and dread at the medallion hanging around his neck. Something was happening. An intense pain flooded his chest and he screamed in agony. Faith was by his side in a matter of seconds. "What's wrong?" She asked concernedly.

"I think it's working," Spike forced out, despite the pain. "I can feel my soul," he said with wonder. "It kinda stings." Suddenly, a white light issued forth from the medallion. The ground began to shake. A rumble roared up from the earth and everything started to collapse.


	55. Epilogue: Where Do We Go From Here?

Night Falls

Notes: This is the final chapter. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. I appreciate all of your comments and support. Shortly, I will begin posting my next story, Animatus, which, according to my internet research, should be the past participle of _animare_, which is Latin for "to make alive." At any rate, it will be a Buffy/Faith story, set in season four, around the premise that zombies have invaded Sunnydale. I hope you all enjoy it, as I hope you've all enjoyed this story as well. Thanks for reading!

Previously:

Spike suddenly stopped fighting and looked down with awe and dread at the medallion hanging around his neck. Something was happening. An intense pain flooded his chest and he screamed in agony. Faith was by his side in a matter of seconds. "What's wrong?" She asked concernedly.

"I think it's working," Spike forced out, despite the pain. "I can feel my soul," he said with wonder. "It kinda stings." Suddenly, a white light issued forth from the medallion. The ground began to shake. A rumble roared up from the earth and everything started to collapse.

Epilogue: Where Do We Go From Here?

Colleen ran through the darkened tunnel, following the smell of death and the sound of violence. Suddenly, a brilliant, white light illuminated the passageway. She could see the Slayers just ahead of her. The fighting had stopped, as everyone turned to face the light. She could not see Maria among them. "Maria!" She shouted, over the deafening roar of the earth shaking. She strained to hear any reply, but all she heard was a sound akin to the rushing of a freight train. Finally, she heard her name being called over the din.

"Colleen!" A weaker voice yelled. "Aqui!" Colleen ran, following the voice along the outskirts of the group, until she came upon her friend. Maria was lying against the wall, her face bloodied. She held her arm close to her chest and Colleen could see that it was badly mangled.

"We have to get you out of here," she murmured, slipping the girl's good arm around her shoulders. Pulling Maria to her feet, she glanced up, and saw Spike standing alone in the center of a beam of light. The beam was coming from the medallion that hung around his neck.

"The others?" Maria asked as Colleen lifted her to her feet.

"They'll be okay," Colleen answered. Suddenly, the light expanded, its golden glow encompassing everything in the room. The Turok-Hans issued a collective wail, scrambling to avoid the light. As the beams touched them, they burst into flames, the dust of their disintegrating bodies filling the air. Colleen heard Buffy's voice clearly over the wail of the vampires.

"Everybody get out!" Buffy yelled, struggling to be heard. The girls turned from the site of the battle and fled, running back through the passageway, and towards the Seal. Colleen pulled Maria into the crowd, her feet carrying them both towards salvation.

"What the hell is going on?" Faith asked, looking back at Buffy, who watched with awe as the vampires exploded into dust.

"I don't know," Buffy said. "But we have to get out of here."

"What about Spike?" Faith asked, gesturing back towards the bleach blonde vampire.

"It's alright," Spike said calmly. "Go on now."

"What?" Faith questioned.

"I think I understand everything finally," Spike smiled. "About being a champion. Having a soul isn't enough. You have to know what to do with it. And you have to know when it's time."

"We can still get you out of here," Buffy argued.

"No, you can't," Spike shook his head. "And don't give me that look," he said, cutting off Faith before she spoke. "It's been fun and all, but I've gotta clean up the mess."

"If you stay here, you'll die," Faith reminded him.

"I think I've lived quite long enough," Spike said. "I'd get outta here if I were you, this place is coming down."

Buffy grabbed Faith's arm and pulled her back towards the passageway. Spike looked up as the roof above him began to collapse. The school was falling. Already, through the rubble falling down into the pit, he could see blue sky. The sun was shining. It was morning. The medallion shone brighter as the sunlight fell upon it. Spike smiled and closed his eyes. "Besides," he added to himself, "I want to see how it ends."

……………………………..

As Buffy and Faith joined the crowd of girls pulling themselves up through the hole in the Seal, Faith felt Buffy's hand leave her shoulder. The pulsing crowd pushed them apart and Faith lost sight of her lover. Some of the girls were too injured to climb up through the hole without aide and Faith lingered behind, lifting them up. Finally, when she was the only one left, she looked back down the passageway. She could no longer see Spike. Jumping up, she grabbed the sides of the floor, and pulled herself through the hole. The ground began to shake with more intensity. She felt herself falling back down for a moment, but gathering her strength, she hurled herself out of the Hellmouth.

Rising to her feet, she began to run. She charged through the passages, up the stairs, and through the door. The ground around her began to sink. The roof was collapsing. The building was falling in on itself. Faith ran harder, pushing her way through the kitchen and down the hallway, towards the front door. As she was running, a form in front of her caught her attention. Skidding to a stop, she noticed a hand sticking out from under a pile of rubble. She knew that she had to run, but she did not want to leave anyone behind. Reaching down, she removed a heavy piece of the roof. The girl's face became clear to her and she grabbed her by the arms, pulling her out.

"Hailey?" She asked, desperately searching her arm for a pulse. Sighing with relief, she found a weak, but steady pulse beating underneath the older girl's skin. Throwing the unconscious girl over her shoulder like a fireman, Faith ran from the building. She had just burst through the front doors when the school collapsed behind her. She resisted the urge to look back and, instead, charged towards the bus. It was starting to pull away as she threw Hailey on and climbed aboard. Buffy was at her side within moments.

"I thought I lost you," she said, throwing her arms around Faith. Faith smiled and buried her face in Buffy's hair, losing herself in the smell of vanilla.

"I'm still here," she said softly, closing her eyes. The bus rambled forward, over streets that were starting to crack and sink.

"Are we gonna make it out of here?" Xander asked from his seat behind Wesley, who was driving the bus.

"I have absolutely no idea," Wesley replied, gritting his teeth, as the bus bumped and jolted its way over the forming fault lines.

"Very reassuring," Xander muttered.

"Help me with her," Faith said, pulling out of her embrace with Buffy. Reaching down, the Slayers hauled Hailey to her feet and carried her to the back of the bus, where Willow was resting.

"Is she okay? Is she alive?" Willow asked with alarm, wiping tears from her eyes. They had been waiting on the bus for the others when the school began to collapse. With dread, she watched the other Slayers board the bus, but did not see Hailey. The bus had started to move when Faith jumped on board, but Willow had not noticed her lover in Faith's arms. She had thought that Hailey had died in the school, or else had been left behind. But upon seeing her lover's pale face, hope rekindled in Willow's heart.

"She's alive," Faith confirmed. "I found her under some rubble. The roof collapsed on her."

"First the Watcher's Council headquarters and now this," Buffy said, shaking her head, "it's a wonder she isn't phobic about multi-story buildings."

Hailey stirred, her eyes fluttering open as Buffy and Faith laid her down on the seat next to Willow. "Where am I?" She asked weakly, staring up at the roof of the bus with a confused expression on her face.

"You're on the bus," Willow said, tears of joy now escaping from her eyes. Smiling, she leaned down and kissed Hailey gently on the forehead. "You made it."

"The wheels of the bus go round and round," Hailey murmured, struggling to sit up. "I think I hit my head."

"You did. Must have been pretty damn hard," Faith nodded. Willow helped her lover into a seated position. Hailey blinked several times, looking around the bus at the people who survived. She smiled when she saw Colleen, Maria, and Kennedy.

"We won?" She asked, after several long moments.

"We won," Buffy replied, lowering herself into a seat in front of Willow. Turning around, she looked at Hailey. "How do you feel?"

"A little dizzy," Hailey answered. "And my head hurts. But that's nothing new."

"I feel ya," Faith muttered. "I still get migraines from that first damn explosion. Slayer healing my ass," she grumbled.

"So what happened?" Hailey asked, glancing around at her friends.

"The medallion worked," Buffy said, sighing heavily.

"So where's Spike?" Willow asked, noticing that the blonde vampire was not on the bus.

"He's gone," Faith said softly, looking down at the floor. Hailey exhaled slowly, a deep sadness filling her heart. She had hoped to see Spike again when the battle was over. She could almost envision she, Faith, and Spike seated around a crummy table in some dark and smoky pub, sharing a victory brew. The three had developed a unique friendship that she had not expected. But she was honored to have shared in it.

"He died a hero," Buffy added. "He finally got what he wanted."

"What was that?" Faith asked, struggling to hide the tears that glimmered in her eyes. She never thought that she would feel so sad about the loss of a vampire. But, somehow, Spike had worked his way into her heart. She longed to hear his voice again – simply to sit with him and Hailey and talk about nothing in particular, though those conversations seemed like everything.

"To truly be one of the good guys," Buffy answered.

Hailey smiled crookedly, memories of her time with the vampire flooding her consciousness. "He always was," she murmured. "Even if he didn't know it."

"Uh, guys?" Willow said, looking out of one of the windows. "Am I seeing this right?"

"Holy shit," Faith said, starting from her seat, and unconsciously rubbing the tears from her eyes. Though the others saw it, none of them mentioned it. Buffy simply smiled and glanced out of the window, watching as Sunnydale erupted in a cloud of dust and disappeared.

"The whole bloody town is collapsing," Hailey muttered. The bus shot forward, sailing passed the city limits. With a deafening roar, the entire town of Sunnydale vanished. The bus screeched to a halt as Wesley slammed on the brakes, breathing heavily in his seat.

"Well, I didn't think I'd be saying this," he said, breathing a tremendous sigh of relief, "but, we're clear. And to think…I've never actually driven a bus before," he stated proudly.

"Are you serious?" Xander deadpanned. "Why the hell did we put you in charge of the bus then?"

"Want take a look?" Anya asked, as Wesley opened the doors of the bus. The opened with a hiss and the warm, California air streamed in the bus. Xander smiled over at her and nodded. Those that could filed off of the bus to view the remains of Sunnydale. Buffy noted that though many of the new Slayers were among the survivors, many more had been left behind, and many were too wounded to join the group outside.

"You know," Xander said, throwing his arm around Anya's shoulder, "I think it's time for a fresh start."

"Like what?" Anya asked suspiciously, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You want to go out on a date with me?" He asked seriously, looking down at her. Anya smiled and nodded.

"Only if you're paying," she replied. Xander chuckled.

"That's my girl," he murmured.

"Well," Giles said, surveying the damage, "I think the prophecy was fulfilled."

"What do you mean?" Wesley asked, looking over at him, and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I would call this utter destruction and ruin, wouldn't you?" He said, smiling. Wesley laughed.

"You know," he nodded, "I think you might be right."

Hailey gazed out over the ruins, the memory of a dream coming back to her suddenly. "I saw this," she said softly.

"What?" Willow asked, brushing a strand of Hailey's dark hair from her face. Willow was struck, in that moment, by how beautiful her lover truly was, and how powerful. She could see the strength of the Slayer resting in her eyes. The witch wanted nothing more in that moment than to show Hailey how much she loved her.

"I had a dream about this. I saw a giant crater where Sunnydale used to be. Everything was destroyed. And on the very edge," she said, pointing to the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign that was tottering on the brink of the chasm, "I saw that." The sign swayed in the gentle breeze and collapsed, falling into the pit. "I guess I knew all along that we would win," she said, shrugging. Willow smiled.

"So does this officially mean that the Hellmouth is gone?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"This one, yes," Giles stated, and then added, "Not to ruin the moment or anything, but there's another one in Cleveland. I dare say we still have a lot of work ahead of us. No rest for the weary as they say."

"Cleveland?" Faith asked.

"Who is this 'they' and where can we find them?" Xander grumbled. "I'd like show them a thing or two."

"Yes, Cleveland," Giles nodded, ignoring Xander's sarcastic comment. "We might consider going there."

"I think a vacation might be in order first," Buffy said, as Dawn walked up to her. Throwing her arms around her sister, she pulled the young girl into a tight embrace. "You saved my life back there," she whispered into Dawn's ear, feeling nothing but pride in that moment, to see how beautifully Dawn had grown up. "I don't know how to thank you," Buffy said, blinking away tears.

"You don't have to," Dawn replied, shrugging. "You've done it for me. Besides, that's what sisters are for."

"A vacation sounds good," Faith commented. "Somewhere nice and warm, with a beach maybe, and lots of alcoholic drinks with little, colorful umbrellas stuck in them."

Willow smiled as she stood beside the former rogue Slayer, who she now considered a friend, and rested her head on Hailey's shoulder. "I love you too, you know that, right?" she whispered, mimicking Hailey's last words to her before the school had collapsed. Hailey looked down at her and grinned.

"I know," she said, leaning down and kissing the witch gently on the lips. Wherever she went, whatever demons she faced, she knew that she was home as long as she was with Willow.

Buffy gazed out over the ruins of what had been her home for seven years. The smoldering pit resembled nothing of Sunnydale. Everything was gone, her house, all of her possessions, all of the places that she had known, and, most importantly, her mother's grave. Her entire life had been blotted out in a matter of minutes. Buffy smiled, suddenly realizing that her life had only just begun and that she no longer had anything to hold her back. She was a Slayer and she was free. There were so many things that she needed to do. The Council had to be rebuilt, in a fashion to best serve the Slayers. They had to locate all of the Slayers that they had awoken with the spell. Finally, they had to find a new place to call home. "So where do we go from here, B?" Faith asked, slipping her hand into the blonde Slayer's and giving it a gentle squeeze. She knew how emotional Buffy must have felt in that moment. Though Faith had only been in Sunnydale a short time during the course of her life, she had come to regard the small town as more of a home than anywhere else. Despite some of the bad memories that it held, she was sad to see it destroyed.

Buffy shrugged, smiling at the tingles that ran up her arm from the feel of Faith's hand in her own. No one else had ever provoked that reaction in her. She knew that no one else would. "Giles…," she said, looking back at her Watcher. "You said something about Cleveland?"

"Yes," Giles replied. "I'm so glad someone was actually listening," he mumbled, shaking his head. "If I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now, this world is doomed."

Buffy threw one, last look back at the smoldering pit that had once been Sunnydale and turned from it, never to look upon it again. "Alright guys," she said, her voice taking a commanding tone once more, "looks like we've got our work cut out for us. Everybody back on the bus."

The End.


End file.
